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A Cure for Sorrow
From the author of The Light on Farallon Island comes a haunting novel about the power of science, the nature of love, and the enigma of the supernatural.
Convention-flouting Nora Harris is a determined young medical student in Gilded Age Manhattan. A surgeon’s daughter, she always leads with her head—until her father’s latest protégé, Euan Colquhoun, steals her heart. Love and logic bind the newly betrothed couple together, but a tragic accident cuts their bright future short.
Grief-stricken, Nora finds surprising comfort in corresponding with Euan’s older brother, Malcolm. She decides to forsake her ambitions to retreat to the Colquhoun family farm deep in the tangled woods of upstate New York.
There, her longed-for peace is threatened by a suspicion that the whole family harbors haunting secrets. When she starts to see things that science can’t explain, Nora fears for her sanity—and when she gives in to dangerous temptations, she fears for her immortal soul.
Convention-flouting Nora Harris is a determined young medical student in Gilded Age Manhattan. A surgeon’s daughter, she always leads with her head—until her father’s latest protégé, Euan Colquhoun, steals her heart. Love and logic bind the newly betrothed couple together, but a tragic accident cuts their bright future short.
Grief-stricken, Nora finds surprising comfort in corresponding with Euan’s older brother, Malcolm. She decides to forsake her ambitions to retreat to the Colquhoun family farm deep in the tangled woods of upstate New York.
There, her longed-for peace is threatened by a suspicion that the whole family harbors haunting secrets. When she starts to see things that science can’t explain, Nora fears for her sanity—and when she gives in to dangerous temptations, she fears for her immortal soul.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2024
183 people are currently reading
4770 people want to read
About the author
Jen Wheeler
3 books57 followershttps://www.instagram.com/pdx.hon
Jen Wheeler is a former managing editor of Chowhound and lives in Oregon.
The Light on Farallon Island is her first novel. A second novel, Tenderhearted Executioner, will follow.
Jen Wheeler is a former managing editor of Chowhound and lives in Oregon.
The Light on Farallon Island is her first novel. A second novel, Tenderhearted Executioner, will follow.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 9, 2024
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky
Presented by Brilliance Audio
Really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but it was all downhill from there.
Firstly, this book sold itself to me with the promise of supernatural happenings, and I was sadly disappointed on that front. Also 'haunted secrets' - where were the secrets?? I was bored, bored bored.
My favourite part of this entire novel was the building of the relationship between Nora and Euan, and how it spoke about the loss after. This evoked some really strong feelings in me and I was sucked in completely.
However, once Nora starts to move forward it all just became a tangled mess of love affairs and damaged people and relationships and also FARMWORK which was so incredibly dull. Nora went from a character I adored to a character I loathed, and nothing interesting justified how long this story dragged on for. When the 'supernatural' finally turned up, I rolled my eyes and that was me emotionally done. From then on it was listening just to be done.
On the plus side, the narration was well done. She did a great job of defining characters with different voices, and added a lot of feeling to the story. I'd happily listen to this narrator again.
If this hadn't been an audiobook I think I would have straight up quit halfway. As it was, it really became a chore to listen to, and I was happy when it finally ended.
Perhaps fans of historical fiction will enjoy this more than I did, but there wasn't much beyond the narrator that could redeem it for me.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
Presented by Brilliance Audio
Really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but it was all downhill from there.
Firstly, this book sold itself to me with the promise of supernatural happenings, and I was sadly disappointed on that front. Also 'haunted secrets' - where were the secrets?? I was bored, bored bored.
My favourite part of this entire novel was the building of the relationship between Nora and Euan, and how it spoke about the loss after. This evoked some really strong feelings in me and I was sucked in completely.
However, once Nora starts to move forward it all just became a tangled mess of love affairs and damaged people and relationships and also FARMWORK which was so incredibly dull. Nora went from a character I adored to a character I loathed, and nothing interesting justified how long this story dragged on for. When the 'supernatural' finally turned up, I rolled my eyes and that was me emotionally done. From then on it was listening just to be done.
On the plus side, the narration was well done. She did a great job of defining characters with different voices, and added a lot of feeling to the story. I'd happily listen to this narrator again.
If this hadn't been an audiobook I think I would have straight up quit halfway. As it was, it really became a chore to listen to, and I was happy when it finally ended.
Perhaps fans of historical fiction will enjoy this more than I did, but there wasn't much beyond the narrator that could redeem it for me.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
January 7, 2025
If asked, she would have said, even as she sat there, that she still believed her father’s gospel—that the brain was the mechanism that made human beings what they were in some essential way. That it was, or it contained, what many called the soul. Yet it was Nora’s heart that felt like the locus of her own being, and had for some time now. It was no fist but an open hand, reaching for another that could no longer reach back.
This book is excellent, but not for the fainthearted. I must echo my comparisons to FARALLON ISLAND here; the tone & style is a combo of Phyllis Whitney, Megan Chance, & Sarah Waters, but unlike Wheeler’s debut it’s not a romance. It’s primarily a novel about obsession, loss, grief, & the bad decisions people make whilst in the throes of those things, plus some grotesqueries and/or violence sprinkled in for corporeal consequence. So, yes…it is dark. 🥀 I don’t mean air-quotes “dark” like heroes who are mopey mafia sons or MMA fighters with anger issues; I mean dark in the Mature sense, with a subtle gothic ambiance that uses symbolism & things unspoken to wrestle with guilt, adultery, instability, & suicide. This book will make you think. This book will punch you in the feels. This book will make you despise the heroine at several points during her journey of angst & unhealthy choices, which is surely what the author intended.
In all fairness, SORROW shamelessly flaunts Nora’s shortcomings—some of which remain with her until the final page—so I didn’t especially like her, but I did find her sympathetic in an all-too-human sense. Let the reader who has never prejudged unfairly, jumped into ill-considered rebound relationships, said things they wish they hadn’t, been unreasonably angry at unfair accidents, or wallowed in self-pity (aka your grief is not the first grief that ever grief’d) cast the first stone. 🫢 I find it interesting that so many reviewers seem to hate Nora, but Wheeler took a huge chance portraying her as she did because Nora represents the worst of ourselves; like the cast of SEINFELD she’s a straw human who mirrors our negative impulses, & her slow growth is only fitting (also perhaps not very flattering…?).
In any case, it’s extremely well-written & utterly mesmerizing in its macabre aura, much like Katherine Hale’s OBSESSION or Marilyn Harris’ BLEDDING SORROW. The cover with its bloody, ghostly heart design is perfect for the content; there are layers upon layers of hearts in this novel, whether literal or emotional, & too many end up bruised, drained, or broken. 💞💔❤️🩹🫀
…There, haven’t I made you want to rush out & read this sadly unloved tome? 😬
This book is excellent, but not for the fainthearted. I must echo my comparisons to FARALLON ISLAND here; the tone & style is a combo of Phyllis Whitney, Megan Chance, & Sarah Waters, but unlike Wheeler’s debut it’s not a romance. It’s primarily a novel about obsession, loss, grief, & the bad decisions people make whilst in the throes of those things, plus some grotesqueries and/or violence sprinkled in for corporeal consequence. So, yes…it is dark. 🥀 I don’t mean air-quotes “dark” like heroes who are mopey mafia sons or MMA fighters with anger issues; I mean dark in the Mature sense, with a subtle gothic ambiance that uses symbolism & things unspoken to wrestle with guilt, adultery, instability, & suicide. This book will make you think. This book will punch you in the feels. This book will make you despise the heroine at several points during her journey of angst & unhealthy choices, which is surely what the author intended.
In all fairness, SORROW shamelessly flaunts Nora’s shortcomings—some of which remain with her until the final page—so I didn’t especially like her, but I did find her sympathetic in an all-too-human sense. Let the reader who has never prejudged unfairly, jumped into ill-considered rebound relationships, said things they wish they hadn’t, been unreasonably angry at unfair accidents, or wallowed in self-pity (aka your grief is not the first grief that ever grief’d) cast the first stone. 🫢 I find it interesting that so many reviewers seem to hate Nora, but Wheeler took a huge chance portraying her as she did because Nora represents the worst of ourselves; like the cast of SEINFELD she’s a straw human who mirrors our negative impulses, & her slow growth is only fitting (also perhaps not very flattering…?).
In any case, it’s extremely well-written & utterly mesmerizing in its macabre aura, much like Katherine Hale’s OBSESSION or Marilyn Harris’ BLEDDING SORROW. The cover with its bloody, ghostly heart design is perfect for the content; there are layers upon layers of hearts in this novel, whether literal or emotional, & too many end up bruised, drained, or broken. 💞💔❤️🩹🫀
…There, haven’t I made you want to rush out & read this sadly unloved tome? 😬
May 14, 2024
Despite the presence of the supernatural, this is not a horror novel. I’m not sure that I would call it a thriller either. It is, however, a story of love, guilt, and grief, and the profound effects they have on the mind, body, and soul of a person. I’m reminded of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Crimson Peak’ in which the main character, Edith, an aspiring author, claims she writes love stories and the ghosts they contain are only a metaphor. The same is true of ‘A Cure for Sorrow’, a compelling read through and through.
October 12, 2024
I really enjoyed A Cure for Sorrow as an October read. The book begins with Nora being a likable, strong-willed female character, but grief leads her to make horrible decisions. There are a lot of heavy issues covered in this story including death of a child, suicide, cheating, murder and autism. I enjoyed the way Wheeler worked the supernatural element into the book, because it adds a great macabre feel to the story.
I feel like the horror element in this book, is the way Nora’s life unfolds after losing Euan. Instead of working to overcome her grief, she succumbs to it and gives up on her dream of being a doctor and causes a lot of turmoil in Euan’s family when she goes to visit the farm. All of this continues to affect Nora throughout the rest of her life, and the relationship she has with her son at the end of the book. The other members of Euan’s family also have their own “demons” to deal with, and it definitely was not the best environment for Nora to try to deal with her grief.
A Cure for Sorrow is a well-written character driven story, with a mildly creepy undertone that adds an unsettling feel to the book, which made it a perfect read for me.
I feel like the horror element in this book, is the way Nora’s life unfolds after losing Euan. Instead of working to overcome her grief, she succumbs to it and gives up on her dream of being a doctor and causes a lot of turmoil in Euan’s family when she goes to visit the farm. All of this continues to affect Nora throughout the rest of her life, and the relationship she has with her son at the end of the book. The other members of Euan’s family also have their own “demons” to deal with, and it definitely was not the best environment for Nora to try to deal with her grief.
A Cure for Sorrow is a well-written character driven story, with a mildly creepy undertone that adds an unsettling feel to the book, which made it a perfect read for me.
October 10, 2024
This is not a horror book or thriller in any aspect. It was not marketed correctly. It reads like a historical fiction with absolutely no point. Our main character is unlikable throughout the entire novel. There is no twist or turns. The novel just kept going until the end and then.. that’s it? 3 stars because it was written well and I finished it but I wouldn’t recommend it.
June 16, 2024
thank you to netgalley and lake union for providing me with this arc of jen wheeler's a cure for sorrow
DNF @ 6%
i don't know if it's the book itself, if i'm burnt out from reading so much this month, or because the ballad of robin and king richard put me into a reading slump last night, but i just wasn't feeling the book. i felt that the first two chapters were far too rushed. i mean, a potential love interest within the first two chapters? that's far too quick for my liking.
DNF @ 6%
i don't know if it's the book itself, if i'm burnt out from reading so much this month, or because the ballad of robin and king richard put me into a reading slump last night, but i just wasn't feeling the book. i felt that the first two chapters were far too rushed. i mean, a potential love interest within the first two chapters? that's far too quick for my liking.
September 20, 2024
A Cure for Sorrow by Jen Wheeler
Pub Date Sep 24, 2024
This is a historical adult literary fiction filled with drama, romance, trauma, and the supernatural, following the life of a young, strong-willed female protagonist navigating life filled with love, loss, and complex lives of others who she comes to care for and fear.
Nora Harris is the only child of a well-respected surgeon who is following in her father's footsteps as a medical student in Gilded Age Manhattan. With a keen mind, her love of science and dream of becoming a doctor and working with her father has been her only goal in life, until her father’s newest protégé, Euan Colquhoun, steals her heart. She wanted to go with him during the summer school break to see his family and the farm he grew up on, but Euan discouraged that and didn't want to take her there. He avoided the topic and would talk her out of the idea. They planned for a grand future together once school was finished and in a year, both would become doctors and then get married, but a tragic accident derailed their future before their final year of school.
Grief-stricken, Nora was so devastated that she lost her passion for all she loved before, but when Euan’s older brother, Malcolm wrote to her giving his condolences to her it seemed to help him deal with the loss of his younger brother, she found peace and comfort that her family was not able to provide. Feeling lost with only the comfort of Mal's letters, she takes his invitation to visit the Colquhoun family farm deep in the tangled woods of upstate New York to try and close a part of her broken heart. When it is time to go back home, she finds that she doesn't want to leave and enjoys the simplicity of the farm and quiet wooded area and when Mal tells her she can stay as long as she wishes, and she does.
Although some of the family is a bit strange, she tries to normalize life on the farm but finds that there seem to be secrets the family keeps, and she starts to see things that science can’t explain. Nora doesn't understand why she sees and hears things that others cannot and her relationship with her new family is strained. When she gives in to dangerous temptations, she is filled with guilt and starts to uncover some of the past that haunts the property and herself. She is faced with new horrors that she is desperately trying to resolve, and this new simple life is turning into a nightmare.
This is an interesting story that starts slow but builds into layers as secrets are revealed and when the truth starts to come out, some are uncovered by the ghosts on the farm. The issue is Nora is the only one who can see them. There is mystery, murder, scandals, and paranormal activity in this story, and I enjoyed the journey of listening to it all.
This edition was an Unabridged Audiobook, provided by NetGalley for Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date Sep 24, 2024
This is a historical adult literary fiction filled with drama, romance, trauma, and the supernatural, following the life of a young, strong-willed female protagonist navigating life filled with love, loss, and complex lives of others who she comes to care for and fear.
Nora Harris is the only child of a well-respected surgeon who is following in her father's footsteps as a medical student in Gilded Age Manhattan. With a keen mind, her love of science and dream of becoming a doctor and working with her father has been her only goal in life, until her father’s newest protégé, Euan Colquhoun, steals her heart. She wanted to go with him during the summer school break to see his family and the farm he grew up on, but Euan discouraged that and didn't want to take her there. He avoided the topic and would talk her out of the idea. They planned for a grand future together once school was finished and in a year, both would become doctors and then get married, but a tragic accident derailed their future before their final year of school.
Grief-stricken, Nora was so devastated that she lost her passion for all she loved before, but when Euan’s older brother, Malcolm wrote to her giving his condolences to her it seemed to help him deal with the loss of his younger brother, she found peace and comfort that her family was not able to provide. Feeling lost with only the comfort of Mal's letters, she takes his invitation to visit the Colquhoun family farm deep in the tangled woods of upstate New York to try and close a part of her broken heart. When it is time to go back home, she finds that she doesn't want to leave and enjoys the simplicity of the farm and quiet wooded area and when Mal tells her she can stay as long as she wishes, and she does.
Although some of the family is a bit strange, she tries to normalize life on the farm but finds that there seem to be secrets the family keeps, and she starts to see things that science can’t explain. Nora doesn't understand why she sees and hears things that others cannot and her relationship with her new family is strained. When she gives in to dangerous temptations, she is filled with guilt and starts to uncover some of the past that haunts the property and herself. She is faced with new horrors that she is desperately trying to resolve, and this new simple life is turning into a nightmare.
This is an interesting story that starts slow but builds into layers as secrets are revealed and when the truth starts to come out, some are uncovered by the ghosts on the farm. The issue is Nora is the only one who can see them. There is mystery, murder, scandals, and paranormal activity in this story, and I enjoyed the journey of listening to it all.
This edition was an Unabridged Audiobook, provided by NetGalley for Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2025
You know what... F*** this book.
When I tell you I cried, I mean I bawled on page 37. Yep, you read that right.... PAGE 37!!!!
This was my first Jen Wheeler read. I picked it up at the library because I liked the cover and the feel of the pages, without any idea or predisposition, as to what this book was about.
The first 10-15 percent of the book was so well written. I was truly invested. The structure, the character development, the relationships.... While I was leery about some of the verbage at first, it was... idk... it worked.
Now, after that, I must confess it went a bit downhill for me. It is a good read, but man, that first bit was WOW! after that... it was still good, but just wasn't the same hold.
This book tells a heart-wretching story of how grief, loss, guilt, and regrets can and DOES change a person and their complete perspective on things. The story has an ugly honesty to it. It's a messy perspective. It's off the wall and even ridiculous and boring at times. But I can see how one could actually relate. Life's circumstances can most definitely take the most planned and put together person and warp them into someone completely different. I love it.
There is truth in how love can start out so beautiful, and at the loss of this, the person left can be left with a maddening and altered state of being. It is easy to say how one would react to such loss, but in truth, none of us really know until we are faced with such a loss and all of the feeling that comes with it.
Who knows what one would actually have done given the same circumstances. Working through one's emotions is such a solitary thing for humans. We all take different approaches and paths.
All of that being and mad respect to the author and her ability to articulate such a story, this is such a long and slow burn after the first 5 chapters. The main character becomes so very unlikable, which I am sure is the point, but it almost makes it hard to continue at times. Hense ridiculous.
I am all for human perspective, especially when we get a REAL and ugly alternative that we would normally like to avoid or ignore. However, that does make the story hard to read. That being said, that is why you should read it.
When I tell you I cried, I mean I bawled on page 37. Yep, you read that right.... PAGE 37!!!!
This was my first Jen Wheeler read. I picked it up at the library because I liked the cover and the feel of the pages, without any idea or predisposition, as to what this book was about.
The first 10-15 percent of the book was so well written. I was truly invested. The structure, the character development, the relationships.... While I was leery about some of the verbage at first, it was... idk... it worked.
Now, after that, I must confess it went a bit downhill for me. It is a good read, but man, that first bit was WOW! after that... it was still good, but just wasn't the same hold.
This book tells a heart-wretching story of how grief, loss, guilt, and regrets can and DOES change a person and their complete perspective on things. The story has an ugly honesty to it. It's a messy perspective. It's off the wall and even ridiculous and boring at times. But I can see how one could actually relate. Life's circumstances can most definitely take the most planned and put together person and warp them into someone completely different. I love it.
There is truth in how love can start out so beautiful, and at the loss of this, the person left can be left with a maddening and altered state of being. It is easy to say how one would react to such loss, but in truth, none of us really know until we are faced with such a loss and all of the feeling that comes with it.
Who knows what one would actually have done given the same circumstances. Working through one's emotions is such a solitary thing for humans. We all take different approaches and paths.
All of that being and mad respect to the author and her ability to articulate such a story, this is such a long and slow burn after the first 5 chapters. The main character becomes so very unlikable, which I am sure is the point, but it almost makes it hard to continue at times. Hense ridiculous.
I am all for human perspective, especially when we get a REAL and ugly alternative that we would normally like to avoid or ignore. However, that does make the story hard to read. That being said, that is why you should read it.
September 13, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC.
Apparently, a cure for sorrow is the slow determination to self-destruct and bring a whole family down with you.
This book is not at all what I expected, and I enjoyed it for the most part.
The voice actress for this audiobook was incredible, and I think that really made an impact on how enjoyable the story was.
Things I really enjoyed:
- The author's masterful descriptions of grief and emotion
- The gothic undertones of the book
- Nora's slow decent in to madness.... or was she mad?
- The author's effective use of several morally gray characters. The characters in this story really shone - several members of the family were loveable, several were despicable, many were a mix of both. I am a genealogist by profession, and I greatly appreciate the reality that families are MESSY and not every family legend you hear is what it first seems.. The relationships in this family were complicated and tangled, and that was well done.
- The paranormal threads of this story were definitely spooky, though perhaps a little underdeveloped. Was this a historical fiction or a thriller? It was both, but sometimes it felt a bit disjointed.
- Some of the descriptions of gore and violence made my skin crawl - usually I have a pretty strong stomach for that, but it definitely was masterfully done.
Things I struggled with:
- The beginning and the ending were both quite rushed in my opinion. We didn't have a lot of time to fall in love with Euan. It jumps from 1888 to the end of Nora's life very quickly, and her happy ending felt very... sudden? Too easy? A little illogical as well, since comes to a conclusion about her ability to see ghosts that doesn't follow her sight of Olaf's ghost.
Trigger warnings:
Gore, suicide, murder, death of a child, infidelity, sexual scenes, death of an animal, curse words, drugging w/o consent, sexism
Apparently, a cure for sorrow is the slow determination to self-destruct and bring a whole family down with you.
This book is not at all what I expected, and I enjoyed it for the most part.
The voice actress for this audiobook was incredible, and I think that really made an impact on how enjoyable the story was.
Things I really enjoyed:
- The author's masterful descriptions of grief and emotion
- The gothic undertones of the book
- Nora's slow decent in to madness.... or was she mad?
- The author's effective use of several morally gray characters. The characters in this story really shone - several members of the family were loveable, several were despicable, many were a mix of both. I am a genealogist by profession, and I greatly appreciate the reality that families are MESSY and not every family legend you hear is what it first seems.. The relationships in this family were complicated and tangled, and that was well done.
- The paranormal threads of this story were definitely spooky, though perhaps a little underdeveloped. Was this a historical fiction or a thriller? It was both, but sometimes it felt a bit disjointed.
- Some of the descriptions of gore and violence made my skin crawl - usually I have a pretty strong stomach for that, but it definitely was masterfully done.
Things I struggled with:
- The beginning and the ending were both quite rushed in my opinion. We didn't have a lot of time to fall in love with Euan. It jumps from 1888 to the end of Nora's life very quickly, and her happy ending felt very... sudden? Too easy? A little illogical as well, since comes to a conclusion about her ability to see ghosts that doesn't follow her sight of Olaf's ghost.
Trigger warnings:
Gore, suicide, murder, death of a child, infidelity, sexual scenes, death of an animal, curse words, drugging w/o consent, sexism
February 4, 2025
This macabre tale delves into the darkness of love, grief, guilt, and how the ghosts of our past can haunt us. Set between 1875 and 1926, the story begins at medical school where Nora is one of the first and only female medical students. Told from the POV of Nora, we meet Euan, a fellow medical student who catches Nora's eye. They become closer and eventually decide to marry, however a fatal accident occurs before they can fulfil their wish. Nora is devastated by her loss and begins to correspond with Euans brother Malcolm. She decides to visit the family farm to scatter Euans ashes, feeling at home there she stays on to help the family run the farm. After some strange occurances, and village rumours, Nora begins to find out more about the family and their secrets, and starts to keep some of her own.
I really wanted to like this, I enjoyed the starting chapters with the medical school and setting the scene for the characters but I felt the story fell flat after reaching the farm and didnt really pick back up again until the final few chapters. However I did enjoy the narration by Jesse Vilinsky, who did a really good job of differentiating each of the characters voices and engaging with the story.
I really wanted to like this, I enjoyed the starting chapters with the medical school and setting the scene for the characters but I felt the story fell flat after reaching the farm and didnt really pick back up again until the final few chapters. However I did enjoy the narration by Jesse Vilinsky, who did a really good job of differentiating each of the characters voices and engaging with the story.
September 22, 2024
I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed "A Cure for Sorrow" by Jen Wheeler.
Additionally, Jesse Vilinsky's narration of this book was great.
I don't typically read much historical fiction, but a premise about science, love, tragedy, and the supernatural intrigued me.
Despite the slow, plodding nature of the story, it continually held my interest. Wheeler's atmospheric prose skillfully conveyed just how monstrous grief can be.
I recommend adding this to your TBR if you're compelled to learn what happens to a family living on an old farmstead, haunted by secrets, heartbreak and ghosts, alike
My take-away? The most true and complete cure for sorrow may only be death.
Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for providing the unabridged audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Additionally, Jesse Vilinsky's narration of this book was great.
I don't typically read much historical fiction, but a premise about science, love, tragedy, and the supernatural intrigued me.
Despite the slow, plodding nature of the story, it continually held my interest. Wheeler's atmospheric prose skillfully conveyed just how monstrous grief can be.
I recommend adding this to your TBR if you're compelled to learn what happens to a family living on an old farmstead, haunted by secrets, heartbreak and ghosts, alike
My take-away? The most true and complete cure for sorrow may only be death.
Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for providing the unabridged audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
October 21, 2024
2.5 Stars Rounded Up
I wanted to like this book. I was looking forward to it, but sadly I don’t think it was for me. This book was incredibly slow and too long. In all honestly, I think this could have been a novella and it would have hit harder.
There were some parts describing Nora’s grief and sorrow that were strong; however, those quickly turned to her just being a terrible person. She used her grief to excuse a lot of her actions, especially the unforgivable ones. The parts I was looking forward to from the blurb didn’t really come into play until about 70% into the book and then the pacing started to pick up. But at that point it was too late. The change felt odd, forced, and rushed.
I did enjoy the narrator and felt she was great at the voices and setting the tone.
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this audiobook.
I wanted to like this book. I was looking forward to it, but sadly I don’t think it was for me. This book was incredibly slow and too long. In all honestly, I think this could have been a novella and it would have hit harder.
There were some parts describing Nora’s grief and sorrow that were strong; however, those quickly turned to her just being a terrible person. She used her grief to excuse a lot of her actions, especially the unforgivable ones. The parts I was looking forward to from the blurb didn’t really come into play until about 70% into the book and then the pacing started to pick up. But at that point it was too late. The change felt odd, forced, and rushed.
I did enjoy the narrator and felt she was great at the voices and setting the tone.
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this audiobook.
October 1, 2024
Oh my God. This was so, so good - amazing!
First off, the writing was so beautiful and haunting. The plot is slow, but it works so well with the story. It's spooky and dark and just so wonderful.
My heart was broken within the first 10% of the book. I wasn't expecting to be so invested in Nora and Euan so early on, but I was. The depiction of Nora's depression was really available.
I'd give it a million stars if I could!
First off, the writing was so beautiful and haunting. The plot is slow, but it works so well with the story. It's spooky and dark and just so wonderful.
My heart was broken within the first 10% of the book. I wasn't expecting to be so invested in Nora and Euan so early on, but I was. The depiction of Nora's depression was really available.
I'd give it a million stars if I could!
October 13, 2024
This audio book was so rich in texture and tone, almost creepy sounding in places. Laced with dark magic and questions about what’s on the other side not only sounded a little eerie but made for an excellent listening experience.
This novel is perfect if you love a gothic tone to your novels set in the gilded age era where women becoming doctors was still frowned up.
If you love women moving in their second act of life with a spooky vibe then you’ll love this.
This novel is perfect if you love a gothic tone to your novels set in the gilded age era where women becoming doctors was still frowned up.
If you love women moving in their second act of life with a spooky vibe then you’ll love this.
October 4, 2024
While beautifully written, not my usual type of read (usually fantasy or horror). I found that even though I do love a dark themed book this was just a bit too real, certainly not a horror theme as I expected.
Would’ve given 3, the but writing was very good and so 4 not 5 stars purely because I wouldn’t read again and still
Unsure on how it made me feel.
Would’ve given 3, the but writing was very good and so 4 not 5 stars purely because I wouldn’t read again and still
Unsure on how it made me feel.
October 27, 2024
Irritating
An utterly obnoxious, self-centred, self-serving lead character, with no moral compass nor conscience. I had fervently hoped that this was deliberate on the part of the author and, at some point, the whole vile story would serve as retribution or redemption. Unfortunately not. Definitely not worth the time it takes to read.
An utterly obnoxious, self-centred, self-serving lead character, with no moral compass nor conscience. I had fervently hoped that this was deliberate on the part of the author and, at some point, the whole vile story would serve as retribution or redemption. Unfortunately not. Definitely not worth the time it takes to read.
January 20, 2025
Beautiful and Maddening
This dark and stunning journey through the lives of broken yet determined people is still haunting after the last page. This story manages to portray beauty in deceit and in the torture of working through forgiveness. Truly a unique and layered tale of human nature, relationships and survival.
This dark and stunning journey through the lives of broken yet determined people is still haunting after the last page. This story manages to portray beauty in deceit and in the torture of working through forgiveness. Truly a unique and layered tale of human nature, relationships and survival.
July 13, 2025
Another 3.5 rounded to 4
There’s a lot that goes on in this book, a lot of not great things, but don’t worry the main character still gets her happy ending despite being the root of a lot of the goings ons. Also, has nothing to do with the devil at all so just ignore that line in the summary on the back.
There’s a lot that goes on in this book, a lot of not great things, but don’t worry the main character still gets her happy ending despite being the root of a lot of the goings ons. Also, has nothing to do with the devil at all so just ignore that line in the summary on the back.
October 21, 2024
I don't know why exactly, but this book just wasn't for me. It started out great but it just bombed in the middle and the ending was just ok. The characters were just ok too.
I think I was expecting more...
Now it could be the narrator so I will try this one again in paperback.
3 stars
I think I was expecting more...
Now it could be the narrator so I will try this one again in paperback.
3 stars
October 31, 2024
This book took a long time for me to get through. I enjoyed the beginning but wasn’t quite interested in it the further I got into it. I thought there would be more of a supernatural theme to it but that was not the case for me. #goodreadsgiveaway
October 6, 2024
Truly unlikable heroine; started off ok but went downhill rather quickly
October 18, 2024
It wasn’t for me
December 7, 2024
Very, very dark, but beautifully written.
January 2, 2025
So boring and so slow. I really didn’t want to start my year with a DNF so I listened to it at x3 speed to push through it.
November 24, 2025
A Cure for Sorrow is a heart-wrenching story that offers a moving blend of love, grief, guilt, and regrets, with a touch of the supernatural and a pinch of horror, all the while exploring the complexity and imperfection of human nature.
The plot revolves around a young woman named Leonora Harris (or Nora for short) who navigates through the grief of losing her lover, Euan Colquhoun. Wallowing in her sorrow, she unexpectedly finds some relief from her pain while corresponding with Malcolm, her late fiancé’s eldest brother. After some months, Nora finally decides to visit the Colquhoun family farm to formally meet Euan’s relatives and bring them his ashes, in an attempt to move on and resume her life. Once there, she senses a haunting presence dwelling on their house, which she cannot rationally explain not matter how hard she tries. As she entangles herself further in the Colquhoun family and seeks out truths long since buried, she finds herself slowly questioning her decisions and her beliefs.
Jen Wheeler is an amazing author, and it was delightful to immerse myself in her novel. She handles words with finesse and utmost sensitivity, which led me to be hooked on the story from the very first paragraphs. I loved the characters (or, at times, loved to dislike some of them) for how realistic they seemed. I was deeply moved by Nora’s despair; my heart ached at her emotional struggles.
The story is slow-paced, utterly introspective, and laced with a certain melancholy throughout, but this is exactly the kind of novel I enjoy reading. I know full well that this novel will stay with me for a long time, and I will definitely read it again.
I highly recommend it to anyone who relishes character-driven novels rather than plot-driven ones and who loves stories that make them feel emotional.
Note: I received an ARC of the novel for which I thank NetGalley.
The plot revolves around a young woman named Leonora Harris (or Nora for short) who navigates through the grief of losing her lover, Euan Colquhoun. Wallowing in her sorrow, she unexpectedly finds some relief from her pain while corresponding with Malcolm, her late fiancé’s eldest brother. After some months, Nora finally decides to visit the Colquhoun family farm to formally meet Euan’s relatives and bring them his ashes, in an attempt to move on and resume her life. Once there, she senses a haunting presence dwelling on their house, which she cannot rationally explain not matter how hard she tries. As she entangles herself further in the Colquhoun family and seeks out truths long since buried, she finds herself slowly questioning her decisions and her beliefs.
Jen Wheeler is an amazing author, and it was delightful to immerse myself in her novel. She handles words with finesse and utmost sensitivity, which led me to be hooked on the story from the very first paragraphs. I loved the characters (or, at times, loved to dislike some of them) for how realistic they seemed. I was deeply moved by Nora’s despair; my heart ached at her emotional struggles.
The story is slow-paced, utterly introspective, and laced with a certain melancholy throughout, but this is exactly the kind of novel I enjoy reading. I know full well that this novel will stay with me for a long time, and I will definitely read it again.
I highly recommend it to anyone who relishes character-driven novels rather than plot-driven ones and who loves stories that make them feel emotional.
Note: I received an ARC of the novel for which I thank NetGalley.
February 21, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for this ARC Audio Copy! 3.5 Stars
I loved the beginning of this book so much. A strong female character who would do anything to be a doctor in a time when women were not allowed to be doctors. I felt like there was so much potential for where the story was going to go from there but I was completely shocked where the story actually took me. There are time that this book reads as a horror, and though it has some extremely heavy themes it carried itself strongly as a gothic historical fiction.
The decisions that the FMC makes really confused me at times but we all grieve differently and during the time period and situation even though I was really not happy with the characters choices, I was so invested in her, and felt her struggles so deeply. This is not a happy story in any way shape or form, but it is thought provoking and and shows life in such a realistic and harsh way without trying to hide the ugly parts.
I loved the beginning of this book so much. A strong female character who would do anything to be a doctor in a time when women were not allowed to be doctors. I felt like there was so much potential for where the story was going to go from there but I was completely shocked where the story actually took me. There are time that this book reads as a horror, and though it has some extremely heavy themes it carried itself strongly as a gothic historical fiction.
The decisions that the FMC makes really confused me at times but we all grieve differently and during the time period and situation even though I was really not happy with the characters choices, I was so invested in her, and felt her struggles so deeply. This is not a happy story in any way shape or form, but it is thought provoking and and shows life in such a realistic and harsh way without trying to hide the ugly parts.
January 24, 2025
What an odd mix between horror novel and historical... To be honest, it leans heavily into historical, as the paranormal elements are minor. A Cure for Sorrow is about loss, grief, and human mistakes - it is also about the most unlikeable woman I have read about in a while. The build-up, including the budding relationship between Nora and Euan, was lovely. Sadly, it all went downhill from there, as the novel doesn't want to commit to the classically gothic nor turn away from punishing a heroine for her "sexual misconduct" with that weird ending.
***I received a digital copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***
***I received a digital copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***
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