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Bliss House
Amidst lush farmland and orchards in Old Gate, Virginia, stands the magnificent Bliss House. Built in 1878, Bliss House is impressive, historic, and inexplicably mysterious. Rainey Bliss Adams desperately needed a new start when she and her daughter Ariel relocated from St. Louis to Old Gate and settled into the house where the Bliss family had lived for over a century. Rainey’s husband had been killed in a freak explosion that left her 14 year-old daughter Ariel scarred and disfigured. At the grand housewarming party, Bliss House begins to reveal itself again. Ariel sees haunting the ghost of her father, and the ghost of a woman being pushed to her death off of an upper floor balcony, beneath an exquisite dome of painted stars. And then there is a death the night of the party...
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First published June 15, 2014
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About the author
Laura Benedict
35 books423 followersLaura Benedict is the Edgar- and ITW Thriller Award- nominated author of eight novels of suspense, including The Stranger Inside). Her Bliss House gothic trilogy includes The Abandoned Heart, Charlotte’s Story (Booklist starred review), and Bliss House. Her short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and in numerous anthologies like Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers, and St. Louis Noir. A native of Cincinnati, she lives in Southern Illinois with her family. Visit her at www.laurabenedict.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
November 6, 2016
I read Charlotte's Story a little while ago and was so enthralled by that book that I immediately bought this book; the first book in the trilogy. Charlotte's Story took place in the 50s and this book story takes place in present time and that means that some, not many, characters from Charlotte's Story are in this book. I also know that the Bliss House, and that the men from the Bliss house aren't really to trust.
In this book, we get to follow Rainey Bliss Adams and her daughter Ariel that have moved to the house after Rainey bought it back to the Bliss family after it's been sold by Charlotte Bliss after her son Michael disappeared around 30 years before. Rainey hopes that this will be good for her and Ariel. They need a new start after losing Ariel's father to a fire that also disfigured Ariel. But they hardly settle in the house before the first person dies and then it's just a matter of time before the next one dies...
I really like the haunted house genre, and the Bliss House is really creepy. I'm mean the house isn't creepy to look at, it's lovely, it's just got an atmosphere that is creepy and it has its fair share of mysterious deaths. Like the previous owner who killed his wife with an ax in the woods outside the house. But, a house can not be evil, can it?
Laura Benedict has written a book that is hard to put down when you really get into the story and is both engaging and disturbing to read and I thought I had most of it all figured out when she turned the table on me with a very good twist. I was not really surprised about some of the things that happened, and that's thanks to reading Charlotte's Story before I read this one. That gave me an advantage since I had my suspicions on some people in this book.
One thing, I was a bit annoyed towards the end when Ariel did something really stupid, I mean I understand her to a certain limit, but at the same time, I was really irritated because I didn't think that she would, after all, she had been through before would do that. But then again it leads to a very fitting ending for the Bliss House.
All and all a truly good book. What I really like is that it doesn't rush anything, everything takes it times, that can be a bit frustrating sometimes, but the reward is a well-written book.
4.5 stars
In this book, we get to follow Rainey Bliss Adams and her daughter Ariel that have moved to the house after Rainey bought it back to the Bliss family after it's been sold by Charlotte Bliss after her son Michael disappeared around 30 years before. Rainey hopes that this will be good for her and Ariel. They need a new start after losing Ariel's father to a fire that also disfigured Ariel. But they hardly settle in the house before the first person dies and then it's just a matter of time before the next one dies...
I really like the haunted house genre, and the Bliss House is really creepy. I'm mean the house isn't creepy to look at, it's lovely, it's just got an atmosphere that is creepy and it has its fair share of mysterious deaths. Like the previous owner who killed his wife with an ax in the woods outside the house. But, a house can not be evil, can it?
Laura Benedict has written a book that is hard to put down when you really get into the story and is both engaging and disturbing to read and I thought I had most of it all figured out when she turned the table on me with a very good twist. I was not really surprised about some of the things that happened, and that's thanks to reading Charlotte's Story before I read this one. That gave me an advantage since I had my suspicions on some people in this book.
One thing, I was a bit annoyed towards the end when Ariel did something really stupid, I mean I understand her to a certain limit, but at the same time, I was really irritated because I didn't think that she would, after all, she had been through before would do that. But then again it leads to a very fitting ending for the Bliss House.
All and all a truly good book. What I really like is that it doesn't rush anything, everything takes it times, that can be a bit frustrating sometimes, but the reward is a well-written book.
4.5 stars
February 7, 2017
3 stars--I liked the book. (Warnings for sexual violence.)
Out of the three Bliss House novels, I think this was the most graphically violent--and also had the fewest ghosts! I would have been pretty confused by this book (and the second one as well) if I had read them in order; if you want to read this series, I recommend you start with the third book, The Abandoned Heart: A Bliss House Novel, which gives the house's back story.
It's interesting that the books in this series about women, and written by a woman, contain so much violence against women. Women are the victims in these books as well as being the narrators.
Still, I'm a sucker for ghost stories, and enjoyed the gothic trappings of this series. The house is definitely sinister, and though I would have liked to see more ghostly terror in this one, and less human terror, it was still a good conclusion to the series.
Out of the three Bliss House novels, I think this was the most graphically violent--and also had the fewest ghosts! I would have been pretty confused by this book (and the second one as well) if I had read them in order; if you want to read this series, I recommend you start with the third book, The Abandoned Heart: A Bliss House Novel, which gives the house's back story.
It's interesting that the books in this series about women, and written by a woman, contain so much violence against women. Women are the victims in these books as well as being the narrators.
Still, I'm a sucker for ghost stories, and enjoyed the gothic trappings of this series. The house is definitely sinister, and though I would have liked to see more ghostly terror in this one, and less human terror, it was still a good conclusion to the series.
February 3, 2017
A story's approach is everything. "Bliss House" had great ingredients but the angle was skewed. Characters' backgrounds don't matter as long as a riveting discovery of spirits is built around them. Unfortunately this story was largely about the daughter's and Mother's recent tragedy, alternated with the depraved imprisonment of a woman in the bowels of that house in the past. We should only know her as a ghost and hear of the torture in the past. Instead, Laura Benedict gave that and most everyone else a narrative.
I've read one author who distributes numerous narratives well: Maeve Binchy. Otherwise interest ekes out too sparingly. Selected perspectives can work; if Laura had stuck to Bertie, Rainey, and Ariel. A modern mystery investigation soon takes shape. However worse than detailing the house explosion that injured Ariel and killed her Father; it blackened the novel that it starts with drugs and assault and kept tabs on the demented imprisonment! It took thorough plotting to connect modern mysteries with hellish depravity of the early 1980s. Regrettably, its most interesting twists were brought up late and hastily, with a dissatisfying aftermath on the part of Rainey and the Mother long missing that basement victim.
It baffles me that some authors don't know what the best part is and squander opportunities for soaring emotion. Laura presented "Bliss House" as an evil that overtakes residents or visitors. There were a few enchanting moments with spirits and exciting, scarier phenomena but how odd that this was the least of her focus. The last action in the mansion evaporated my taste for the protagonists, whose decisions were senseless. It was a superfluous, dragged-out sequence; again with the feeling that Laura didn't recognize the high notes and end on them. Three stars acknowledge the portions that were very well done.
I've read one author who distributes numerous narratives well: Maeve Binchy. Otherwise interest ekes out too sparingly. Selected perspectives can work; if Laura had stuck to Bertie, Rainey, and Ariel. A modern mystery investigation soon takes shape. However worse than detailing the house explosion that injured Ariel and killed her Father; it blackened the novel that it starts with drugs and assault and kept tabs on the demented imprisonment! It took thorough plotting to connect modern mysteries with hellish depravity of the early 1980s. Regrettably, its most interesting twists were brought up late and hastily, with a dissatisfying aftermath on the part of Rainey and the Mother long missing that basement victim.
It baffles me that some authors don't know what the best part is and squander opportunities for soaring emotion. Laura presented "Bliss House" as an evil that overtakes residents or visitors. There were a few enchanting moments with spirits and exciting, scarier phenomena but how odd that this was the least of her focus. The last action in the mansion evaporated my taste for the protagonists, whose decisions were senseless. It was a superfluous, dragged-out sequence; again with the feeling that Laura didn't recognize the high notes and end on them. Three stars acknowledge the portions that were very well done.
April 9, 2017
Death never did come quietly for Bliss House . . . and now a mother and daughter have become entwined in the secrets hidden within its walls.
Amidst the lush farmland and orchards in Old Gate, Virginia, stands the magnificent Bliss House. Built in 1878 as a country retreat, Bliss House is impressive, historic, and inexplicably mysterious. Decades of strange occurrences, disappearances and deaths have plagued the house, yet it remains vibrant. And very much alive.
Rainey Bliss Adams desperately needed a new start when she and her daughter Ariel relocated from St. Louis to Old Gate and settled into the house where the Bliss family had lived for over a century. Rainey’s husband had been killed in a freak explosion that left her 14 year-old daughter Ariel scarred and disfigured.
At the grand housewarming party, Bliss House begins to reveal itself again. Ariel sees haunting visions: the ghost of her father, and the ghost of a woman being pushed to her death off of an upper floor balcony, beneath an exquisite dome of painted stars. And then there is a death the night of the party. Who is the murderer in the midst of this small town? And who killed the woman in Ariel's visions? But Bliss House is loath to reveal its secrets, as are the good folks of Old Gate.
Amidst the lush farmland and orchards in Old Gate, Virginia, stands the magnificent Bliss House. Built in 1878 as a country retreat, Bliss House is impressive, historic, and inexplicably mysterious. Decades of strange occurrences, disappearances and deaths have plagued the house, yet it remains vibrant. And very much alive.
Rainey Bliss Adams desperately needed a new start when she and her daughter Ariel relocated from St. Louis to Old Gate and settled into the house where the Bliss family had lived for over a century. Rainey’s husband had been killed in a freak explosion that left her 14 year-old daughter Ariel scarred and disfigured.
At the grand housewarming party, Bliss House begins to reveal itself again. Ariel sees haunting visions: the ghost of her father, and the ghost of a woman being pushed to her death off of an upper floor balcony, beneath an exquisite dome of painted stars. And then there is a death the night of the party. Who is the murderer in the midst of this small town? And who killed the woman in Ariel's visions? But Bliss House is loath to reveal its secrets, as are the good folks of Old Gate.
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June 29, 2014A key element to any successful haunted house story is an appropriate setting. The atmosphere surrounding the house is just as important as the mysterious happenings inside the house. In Bliss House, the setting does not fit the insidiousness of the house. For one, the story occurs during the summer months. Summer in Virginia is too bright, too hot, and too lush to appropriately convey mystery and gloom. Then there is the house itself. The rooms are bright and airy. The ceilings soar. For those rooms without windows, they are still open and big. They are less well-maintained, but a quick walk through the door leads one directly into the three-story open gallery. There is none of the dilapidation or closeness that typically identifies a doomed house. Between the blazing summer heat and humidity along with a recently renovated house, it is difficult to take Bliss House as a haunted house seriously.
Other issues with the story revolve around Rainey. As the main character suffering from guilt at the tragedy that left her a widow and her daughter forever scarred, readers should sympathize with her struggles to build a new life for herself and her daughter. Yet, readers will find it difficult to muster sympathy for her. Her story is tragic and pitiable; her reactions are not. She oscillates between smothering Ariel with attention and then virtually ignoring her. She is so afraid of her daughter’s feelings that she capitulates at the slightest hint of a battle and makes excuses for her behavior or absence. Yet, she feels no qualms about packing up and moving to Virginia without discussion. It is a contradictory attitude that diminishes one’s ability to sympathize with her. Ms. Benedict tries to overcome this deficiency by showing Rainey’s burgeoning awareness of her mishandling of the move and of Ariel. However, this occurs so late into the story that it becomes something of a moot point. In trying to develop a character still struggling with the psychological trauma associated with the death of her husband and with being the unwitting reason for the accident, Ms. Benedict creates a main character that is more pathetic than sympathetic. Rainey comes across as too annoying and self-centered to be wholly enjoyable.
Ariel also has her issues, but these are so much easier to stomach given her age and her part in the accident. One expects a teenager to be moody and difficult. Their emotions should fluctuate wildly and rapidly. When combined with the mental trauma of the accident and the psychological ramifications of her injuries, there is no surprise that she lashes out at her mother, blames her for everything wrong in her life, and uses that blame to get what she wants. Her attitude and actions not only meet a reader’s expectations, her unwitting manipulation of her mother fits well into the storyline.
The fundamental issue with Bliss House is that Ms. Benedict’s efforts to create a menacing atmosphere and a sympathetic main character ultimately fail. The writing is flat, and more importantly, the story progresses too quickly to establish the appropriate tone. In addition, there are no real answers about the house. Readers will still wonder how Bliss House became so ominous and if there are even more dark Bliss family secrets that made it that way. Instead, she solves the murder mystery, unveils a decades-old family secret, and resolves the issue of living in the house without touching anything else about it. In many ways, it is a disappointing ending because all of the key elements that should make Bliss House a fantastic story are there. Her execution of those elements and some of choices she makes regarding them prevent the story from being anything other than merely okay.
Other issues with the story revolve around Rainey. As the main character suffering from guilt at the tragedy that left her a widow and her daughter forever scarred, readers should sympathize with her struggles to build a new life for herself and her daughter. Yet, readers will find it difficult to muster sympathy for her. Her story is tragic and pitiable; her reactions are not. She oscillates between smothering Ariel with attention and then virtually ignoring her. She is so afraid of her daughter’s feelings that she capitulates at the slightest hint of a battle and makes excuses for her behavior or absence. Yet, she feels no qualms about packing up and moving to Virginia without discussion. It is a contradictory attitude that diminishes one’s ability to sympathize with her. Ms. Benedict tries to overcome this deficiency by showing Rainey’s burgeoning awareness of her mishandling of the move and of Ariel. However, this occurs so late into the story that it becomes something of a moot point. In trying to develop a character still struggling with the psychological trauma associated with the death of her husband and with being the unwitting reason for the accident, Ms. Benedict creates a main character that is more pathetic than sympathetic. Rainey comes across as too annoying and self-centered to be wholly enjoyable.
Ariel also has her issues, but these are so much easier to stomach given her age and her part in the accident. One expects a teenager to be moody and difficult. Their emotions should fluctuate wildly and rapidly. When combined with the mental trauma of the accident and the psychological ramifications of her injuries, there is no surprise that she lashes out at her mother, blames her for everything wrong in her life, and uses that blame to get what she wants. Her attitude and actions not only meet a reader’s expectations, her unwitting manipulation of her mother fits well into the storyline.
The fundamental issue with Bliss House is that Ms. Benedict’s efforts to create a menacing atmosphere and a sympathetic main character ultimately fail. The writing is flat, and more importantly, the story progresses too quickly to establish the appropriate tone. In addition, there are no real answers about the house. Readers will still wonder how Bliss House became so ominous and if there are even more dark Bliss family secrets that made it that way. Instead, she solves the murder mystery, unveils a decades-old family secret, and resolves the issue of living in the house without touching anything else about it. In many ways, it is a disappointing ending because all of the key elements that should make Bliss House a fantastic story are there. Her execution of those elements and some of choices she makes regarding them prevent the story from being anything other than merely okay.
July 23, 2014
Mediocre mystery about a family struggling to recuperate from tragedy as they move into an evil and manipulative house. There was just enough to keep me reading, but too far-fetched and the "suspense" was predictable.
July 4, 2017
Bliss House, a lush mansion that promises hope and happy beginnings for newly widowed Rainey and her injured daughter Ariel, is anything but a safe haven. It is a house of foreboding, dark secrets, frightening chambers, and inescapable horrors. Bliss House has a mind of its own and deceives all who enter, luring them in and holding them hostage. It has the power to create madness and malevolence and does so with sheer determination and wicked revenge. Ms. Benedict writes an impeccable ghost story within two time parallels. This book embodies multiple murders and sexual violence and contains a twisted ambience amidst a backdrop of false beauty and promises.
August 25, 2014
When is a haunted house story not a haunted house story? When it's "Bliss House." Dear reader, were you taken in by the blurb on the back that dropped Shirley Jackson's name? I was. Oh, what a fool I was- Bliss House is no Hill House. Too much in this book is unresolved. Things you are interested in go nowhere and you end up with a run of the mill crime mystery that reveals the villains when there's still a lot of book to go.
June 27, 2014
What a crazy good haunted house story! Benedict drew me in immediately and I read it straight through (including at stop lights on my way home from work). The brilliantly woven relationships, history, suspense, and mystery make BLISS HOUSE one of my favorites this year.
September 2, 2014
Great gothic mystery/ghost story. Easy and fun to read, but the plot very well done. I stayed up until 1 am to finish!
August 18, 2014
Oogie, Boogie! A crazy good haunted house story.
September 2, 2017
Part horror, mostly family drama and sex scandal, Bliss House offers a Hill House-like experience mixed with a Bold and the Beautiful feel that takes over the more fantastical elements of the story.
Bliss House has been home to many horrors over time. It's a large and menacing homestead complete with a history that would detract most potential buyers.
Broken into two distinct timelines, the story focuses on some of the darker times where a young woman was held captive, repeatedly abused and ultimately murdered. The present day setting has new homeowners moving in following an accident which left a daughter without her father and wife without her husband, shortly thereafter the house is home to a suspicious suicide and ghost sightings.
For me, this was an OK book. I really enjoyed the plot but thought the book meandered at times but overall I was left feeling satisfied.
My rating: 3/5 stars,
Bliss House has been home to many horrors over time. It's a large and menacing homestead complete with a history that would detract most potential buyers.
Broken into two distinct timelines, the story focuses on some of the darker times where a young woman was held captive, repeatedly abused and ultimately murdered. The present day setting has new homeowners moving in following an accident which left a daughter without her father and wife without her husband, shortly thereafter the house is home to a suspicious suicide and ghost sightings.
For me, this was an OK book. I really enjoyed the plot but thought the book meandered at times but overall I was left feeling satisfied.
My rating: 3/5 stars,
August 20, 2014
Excellent super creepy ghost/horror tale. I am not an easy sell in this genre. This one kept me hooked.
November 19, 2016
After her husband dies and her daughter is seriously disfigured in an improbable gas stove explosion, Rainey Adams decides to cash in her trust fund and buy back her ancestral manse in Virginia, Bliss House. But Bliss House has a bad reputation and an unhappy history, and before long, strange things start to happen and then one of her guests dies at her housewarming party and it's either suicide or foul play, creating an odd ghost story/murder mystery amalgam for a plot.
This book was hard to rate, because it's a good story that has a few rather glaring flaws. I finally decided on three stars because I did enjoy it, and would read another book by the author (probably). To start with what I did like, the story is quite interesting and I read it in a couple of sittings, curious to know what would happen next. The setting was well depicted, and for the most part, Bliss House felt fresh and even had a few surprises for me.
As for the flaws, most of them probably could have been avoided with better editing. The murder mystery part of the novel often seemed clunky and contrived, and the chapters from the detective's POV didn't really add anything special. Overall, there is too much repetition (do we need to be told how young and thin Rainey looks every time someone looks at her? Or that Karin was a sex addict? Or that Ariel has scars? Every single time they're mentioned?) and too many similar scenes and a chapter-long unnecessary flashback. The author seems to want us to know every single detail about even minor characters, whether they are relevant or interesting.
For example, we are told that Detective Chappell is a bisexual vegetarian in a chapter of him talking on the phone in a cafe as he eats a hummus burger (whatever that is--hummus doesn't lend itself to being shaped into a patty) and reflects on how he is attracted to older men but young women like his waitress: "Kyleigh was a bouncy sort of young woman, with a heart-shaped face and a talent for applying false eyelashes that made her look perpetually wide-eyed and expectant. Her breasts neatly filled out her bright white Lettuce Leaf t-shirt, and her tiny denim shorts exposed a pair of well-shaped legs that were both tan and athletic. He guessed that she was about twenty-two." None of this is particularly interesting or the slightest bit relevant to the story. It could have been painlessly edited out.
Finally, I should mention that, while the book isn't at all scary, there are a couple scenes of gratuitous unpleasantness that some readers might find upsetting.
This book was hard to rate, because it's a good story that has a few rather glaring flaws. I finally decided on three stars because I did enjoy it, and would read another book by the author (probably). To start with what I did like, the story is quite interesting and I read it in a couple of sittings, curious to know what would happen next. The setting was well depicted, and for the most part, Bliss House felt fresh and even had a few surprises for me.
As for the flaws, most of them probably could have been avoided with better editing. The murder mystery part of the novel often seemed clunky and contrived, and the chapters from the detective's POV didn't really add anything special. Overall, there is too much repetition (do we need to be told how young and thin Rainey looks every time someone looks at her? Or that Karin was a sex addict? Or that Ariel has scars? Every single time they're mentioned?) and too many similar scenes and a chapter-long unnecessary flashback. The author seems to want us to know every single detail about even minor characters, whether they are relevant or interesting.
For example, we are told that Detective Chappell is a bisexual vegetarian in a chapter of him talking on the phone in a cafe as he eats a hummus burger (whatever that is--hummus doesn't lend itself to being shaped into a patty) and reflects on how he is attracted to older men but young women like his waitress: "Kyleigh was a bouncy sort of young woman, with a heart-shaped face and a talent for applying false eyelashes that made her look perpetually wide-eyed and expectant. Her breasts neatly filled out her bright white Lettuce Leaf t-shirt, and her tiny denim shorts exposed a pair of well-shaped legs that were both tan and athletic. He guessed that she was about twenty-two." None of this is particularly interesting or the slightest bit relevant to the story. It could have been painlessly edited out.
Finally, I should mention that, while the book isn't at all scary, there are a couple scenes of gratuitous unpleasantness that some readers might find upsetting.
July 30, 2014
A modern day Southern gothic haunted house mystery.
It was close to good.
I know, that's damning it with faint praise.
I enjoyed it, but at the end, the "ghost logic" of the story just didn't hold together. If I'm going to suspend my disbelief for the sake of a story, be it fantasy, supernatural horror, or historical fiction, then the internal logic of the story itself needs to hang together, and this one . . . just didn't.
I know, I know, just go with it . . . but all of the inconsistencies bothered me at the end. Apparently, if the house is haunted it can do whatever it feels like doing.
Also, everyone was constantly feeling guilty for doing stupid things - Rainey for being a bad mother, Ariel for trusting the wrong person, Gerard for being a co-dependent wimp . . . and yet, they just kept doing the same thing over and over. Meh.
Overall, it kept me turning the pages, but in the end, it was disappointing.
*language, violence, sex
It was close to good.
I know, that's damning it with faint praise.
I enjoyed it, but at the end, the "ghost logic" of the story just didn't hold together. If I'm going to suspend my disbelief for the sake of a story, be it fantasy, supernatural horror, or historical fiction, then the internal logic of the story itself needs to hang together, and this one . . . just didn't.
I know, I know, just go with it . . . but all of the inconsistencies bothered me at the end. Apparently, if the house is haunted it can do whatever it feels like doing.
Also, everyone was constantly feeling guilty for doing stupid things - Rainey for being a bad mother, Ariel for trusting the wrong person, Gerard for being a co-dependent wimp . . . and yet, they just kept doing the same thing over and over. Meh.
Overall, it kept me turning the pages, but in the end, it was disappointing.
*language, violence, sex
December 9, 2016
A haunted, spooky house in Spades! Bliss House is located in the countryside of Old Gate, Virginia. Built in 1878 by a historical ancestor of Rainey Bliss Adams, who is escaping from bad happenings & memories in St. Louis, Missouri. A freak accident killed her husband & burned her teenage daughter, Ariel. The Bliss House has a history of strange occurrences, disappearances, & death Sentence! During a housewarming Ariel sees strange visions, the realtor that sold Rainey the house commits suicide, or did she? This is only the beginning of happenings, deaths, & discoveries that occur.... You almost need a list of players to keep everyone straight! Good book & my Thanks to Pegasus Books for the opportunity to read & review The Bliss House novels!
July 15, 2014
I never expect much out of horror novels - they usually disappoint royally, failing to deliver adequate creep factor or mystery. Not so Bliss House. I simply could not put the book down, finishing it in a little over 24 hours. It had the perfect combination of spooks, mystery and character/plot development, something many of these types of books lack. The cast of characters was interesting and diverse, and I felt that even secondary characters were adequately fleshed out. It had a solid ending, which was great since that's usually the most disappointing part.
February 26, 2022
Score: 3.75/5 round-up for 4/5
Rainey Bliss Adams had to move to the Bliss House located at the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her old house turned into ruin due to the gas explosion. Unfortunately, her husband died from that event and her daughter, Ariel, got injured and had scars on her body permanently. Ariel felt embarrassed by the scars and the way she walked with a cane, so she did not want to go outside or meet new people. After Rainey and Ariel moved into the Bliss House, Ariel’s injury was cured magically by itself. Meanwhile, the Bliss House slowly revealed its sinister.
I discovered this book from a website that I could not remember the name. I searched on Google about “good haunted house books” and that website popped up. I read the synopsis on Goodreads and it sounded super interesting. You probably know what happen next which is I bought the book. It took me 3 months to finish it and left me with just ok feeling.
My reading was super smooth, I am not gonna lie. However, there were not a lot of spirits. When I bought this book, I was expecting a lot of spirits or very haunting feelings, but none of those happened. The Bliss House was more like a mystery-heavy, and horror was a minority. I honestly felt betrayed by that website. Plus, Ariel's behaviour was the worst. I understand that she was mad at Rainey for exploding the house. Rainey apologized to Ariel so many times but that did not work, did it? Ariel still used that excuse to win the argument. I was like “oh please Ariel. Stop that nonsense.”
Nevertheless, I really like the brutality. There were sexual assaults, rape, kidnapping, and blood splattering. If you cannot deal with those things, then I will not recommend this book to you. There was more than one rape scene and each time it was more and more sadism. I loved the fact that the author was not holding back gore stuff.
The family was one of the big topics of this book. There were approximately 3 families; the first family was Rainy and Ariel, the second was the Bliss family and the third one was Gerard and his wife. Throughout the reading, I noticed the relationship within their family. I could feel their warmth and bonding even if one of their family members were horrible.
In the end, The Bliss House had some pros and cons. It was a smooth read but did not match the marketing. Thereby I was disappointed. If you like what I reviewed and want to give it a try, go for it. You might enjoy it more than I do.
Rainey Bliss Adams had to move to the Bliss House located at the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her old house turned into ruin due to the gas explosion. Unfortunately, her husband died from that event and her daughter, Ariel, got injured and had scars on her body permanently. Ariel felt embarrassed by the scars and the way she walked with a cane, so she did not want to go outside or meet new people. After Rainey and Ariel moved into the Bliss House, Ariel’s injury was cured magically by itself. Meanwhile, the Bliss House slowly revealed its sinister.
I discovered this book from a website that I could not remember the name. I searched on Google about “good haunted house books” and that website popped up. I read the synopsis on Goodreads and it sounded super interesting. You probably know what happen next which is I bought the book. It took me 3 months to finish it and left me with just ok feeling.
My reading was super smooth, I am not gonna lie. However, there were not a lot of spirits. When I bought this book, I was expecting a lot of spirits or very haunting feelings, but none of those happened. The Bliss House was more like a mystery-heavy, and horror was a minority. I honestly felt betrayed by that website. Plus, Ariel's behaviour was the worst. I understand that she was mad at Rainey for exploding the house. Rainey apologized to Ariel so many times but that did not work, did it? Ariel still used that excuse to win the argument. I was like “oh please Ariel. Stop that nonsense.”
Nevertheless, I really like the brutality. There were sexual assaults, rape, kidnapping, and blood splattering. If you cannot deal with those things, then I will not recommend this book to you. There was more than one rape scene and each time it was more and more sadism. I loved the fact that the author was not holding back gore stuff.
The family was one of the big topics of this book. There were approximately 3 families; the first family was Rainy and Ariel, the second was the Bliss family and the third one was Gerard and his wife. Throughout the reading, I noticed the relationship within their family. I could feel their warmth and bonding even if one of their family members were horrible.
In the end, The Bliss House had some pros and cons. It was a smooth read but did not match the marketing. Thereby I was disappointed. If you like what I reviewed and want to give it a try, go for it. You might enjoy it more than I do.
September 27, 2015
It wasn't Rainey's fault that her husband died. The explosion that killed him and crippled her daughter was nothing more than a tragic accident. And yet, as time passes she finds that she can no longer face her old life. The desire to get away and make a future for her and her daughter drives her to Old Gate and the historic Bliss House. And though no Blisses have owned the house for quite some time, Rainey has come to bring it back to the family and restore it to its former glory. But Bliss House has secrets. Secrets that are begging to be revealed. Secrets that could potentially endanger Rainey and her daughter.
Laura Benedict has long been a favorite of mine and each new book she releases is immediately on my must have list. I was actually planning to read this one about a month ago - in time to cover it for its release - and things kept delaying me. As annoyed as that was making me, I have to say it was clearly fate's way of telling me to wait. The weather this week was perfect reading for a haunted house story - rare and noisy thunderstorms here in Colorado!
I do so enjoy a good haunted house story and Bliss House is a GOOD haunted house story. As the revelations of the house begin to unfold, it becomes clear to the reader that Benedict has so much more hidden up her sleeve. Even if I didn't know already that she's working on more Bliss House books, I'd have finished with a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't the last we'd see of the creepy abode.
Rainey and Ariel's story is ultimately one of a mother trying her best to care for her daughter. Rainey, an interior designer, is in a way responsible for their current state. She'd purchased an antique stove that wasn't properly installed, causing a gas leak in their previous house. Now, her daughter is scarred to such an extent that she refuses to go out in public. But their move to Bliss House begins to change Ariel, not necessarily in a good way. And Rainey does refuse to see what so many of the locals see in Bliss House. Even admitting at the beginning that the most recent and scandalous events at the house have allowed her to afford buying it isn't enough for her to recognize the ominous stain that permanently mars the estate. Not that she or anyone else really knows the true extent of the story.
There is a secondary story that plays directly into Rainey and Ariel's tale, that of a young woman kidnapped and held in the house at some time prior to when Bliss House takes place. Her story is truly horrific and as we begin with her tale it does set the tone for the book as a whole.
At times Bliss House is a quite nasty book, just in terms of kinds of violence. If you're a sensitive reader, you have been warned. But overall it's not a terribly graphic horror novel. Instead, Bliss House is the kind of horror that relies on overall plot, atmosphere, and characters to provide the necessary thrills and chills of the story. And boy does Benedict build up the atmosphere!
Bliss House is out now and makes for the perfect creepy bedtime read (even if it's not raining!).
Laura Benedict has long been a favorite of mine and each new book she releases is immediately on my must have list. I was actually planning to read this one about a month ago - in time to cover it for its release - and things kept delaying me. As annoyed as that was making me, I have to say it was clearly fate's way of telling me to wait. The weather this week was perfect reading for a haunted house story - rare and noisy thunderstorms here in Colorado!
I do so enjoy a good haunted house story and Bliss House is a GOOD haunted house story. As the revelations of the house begin to unfold, it becomes clear to the reader that Benedict has so much more hidden up her sleeve. Even if I didn't know already that she's working on more Bliss House books, I'd have finished with a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't the last we'd see of the creepy abode.
Rainey and Ariel's story is ultimately one of a mother trying her best to care for her daughter. Rainey, an interior designer, is in a way responsible for their current state. She'd purchased an antique stove that wasn't properly installed, causing a gas leak in their previous house. Now, her daughter is scarred to such an extent that she refuses to go out in public. But their move to Bliss House begins to change Ariel, not necessarily in a good way. And Rainey does refuse to see what so many of the locals see in Bliss House. Even admitting at the beginning that the most recent and scandalous events at the house have allowed her to afford buying it isn't enough for her to recognize the ominous stain that permanently mars the estate. Not that she or anyone else really knows the true extent of the story.
There is a secondary story that plays directly into Rainey and Ariel's tale, that of a young woman kidnapped and held in the house at some time prior to when Bliss House takes place. Her story is truly horrific and as we begin with her tale it does set the tone for the book as a whole.
At times Bliss House is a quite nasty book, just in terms of kinds of violence. If you're a sensitive reader, you have been warned. But overall it's not a terribly graphic horror novel. Instead, Bliss House is the kind of horror that relies on overall plot, atmosphere, and characters to provide the necessary thrills and chills of the story. And boy does Benedict build up the atmosphere!
Bliss House is out now and makes for the perfect creepy bedtime read (even if it's not raining!).
July 29, 2014
Bliss House is a haunted house story and in this case the individuals being haunted are a woman, Rainey, and her daughter Ariel. Rainey and Bliss have moved to Virginia and purchased Bliss house, the house had long been in Rainey’s family and Rainey purchases it in an attempt to create a new life for herself and her daughter. Her daughter had been burned and scarred and Rainey’s husband killed in a freak explosion at their old house.
Part of the story also reveals the account of Allison, a woman held against her will by someone named Michael. While never explicitly stated it is assumed that she is being held somewhere inside Bliss house. As her story unfolds it is also apparent that the house has taken a greater hold on her.
Almost as soon as the women move into Bliss House Ariel is convinced she sees the ghost of her father. In the following days her mother throws a housewarming party and one of the guests is found dead the next morning. Part of the problem for me with the story is that events move along too briskly, why, for example have a murder with the first few days after these women have moved into the house? There isn’t enough atmospheric buildup or background given to make the house truly scary. The house should have been a character in its own right with more of a history surrounding it and more instances of its “personality” should have been given. .We do know that the previous owner had killed his wife and that there is something creepy about the ballroom on the third floor as well as hints that the builder of the house may have had a mentally deficient daughter but that’s about it. There is never any explanation about the part of the house Allison was held in, i.e., what was its purpose nor any hints as to why the house chose to, for want of a better word< possess certain individuals. I also had a problem sympathizing with some of the characters – why would someone buy a house where a murder had occurred if the purpose is to find someplace to heal after a tragic accident?
I am also unsure why one of the characters had to be a sex addict. It added nothing to the story and she certainly could have had affairs without the addiction aspect.
However, I must admit I did suspend belief and race along with the story until the very last section of the book. At the point where Rainey leaves her daughter on her own, yet again, I just rolled my eyes and read as quickly as possible to the end. There is a lot of potential in the story I just felt that the characters and the haunting needed more flesh to their bones.
Part of the story also reveals the account of Allison, a woman held against her will by someone named Michael. While never explicitly stated it is assumed that she is being held somewhere inside Bliss house. As her story unfolds it is also apparent that the house has taken a greater hold on her.
Almost as soon as the women move into Bliss House Ariel is convinced she sees the ghost of her father. In the following days her mother throws a housewarming party and one of the guests is found dead the next morning. Part of the problem for me with the story is that events move along too briskly, why, for example have a murder with the first few days after these women have moved into the house? There isn’t enough atmospheric buildup or background given to make the house truly scary. The house should have been a character in its own right with more of a history surrounding it and more instances of its “personality” should have been given. .We do know that the previous owner had killed his wife and that there is something creepy about the ballroom on the third floor as well as hints that the builder of the house may have had a mentally deficient daughter but that’s about it. There is never any explanation about the part of the house Allison was held in, i.e., what was its purpose nor any hints as to why the house chose to, for want of a better word< possess certain individuals. I also had a problem sympathizing with some of the characters – why would someone buy a house where a murder had occurred if the purpose is to find someplace to heal after a tragic accident?
I am also unsure why one of the characters had to be a sex addict. It added nothing to the story and she certainly could have had affairs without the addiction aspect.
However, I must admit I did suspend belief and race along with the story until the very last section of the book. At the point where Rainey leaves her daughter on her own, yet again, I just rolled my eyes and read as quickly as possible to the end. There is a lot of potential in the story I just felt that the characters and the haunting needed more flesh to their bones.
March 28, 2015
Synopsis: When Rainey Bliss Adams becomes a widow after an accident that killed her husband and permanently disfigured her fourteen year old daughter, she decides to move back to her family homestead, Bliss House, in Old Gate, Virginia.
Bliss House isn't an ordinary farm. It has decades of mysterious disappearances and death. The most recent occurring the night of her homecoming party. Who is behind the murder? Will Bliss House give up its secrets?
My rating: 3 Stars
My opinion: Gotta say that I had more hopes for this book than delivered. I had more hopes for this book to be scarier than what it was. The premise of the book was creepy but what was given was far more mundane.
I must say that I expected a book similar to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, but the plot to the book was much too light to support the book's description. The book was more of a murder mystery than a paranormal thriller than I had expected. This was the source of the majority of my disappointment with it.
Source: Pegasus for review
Would I recommend? : Maybe, but there are numerous ones that I would recommend ahead of it.
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand alone
Bliss House isn't an ordinary farm. It has decades of mysterious disappearances and death. The most recent occurring the night of her homecoming party. Who is behind the murder? Will Bliss House give up its secrets?
My rating: 3 Stars
My opinion: Gotta say that I had more hopes for this book than delivered. I had more hopes for this book to be scarier than what it was. The premise of the book was creepy but what was given was far more mundane.
I must say that I expected a book similar to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, but the plot to the book was much too light to support the book's description. The book was more of a murder mystery than a paranormal thriller than I had expected. This was the source of the majority of my disappointment with it.
Source: Pegasus for review
Would I recommend? : Maybe, but there are numerous ones that I would recommend ahead of it.
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand alone
October 26, 2014
This was...okay. Be forwarned - there are some explicitish rapey scenes and I wasn't expecting that based on the description. I wish it had been more of a ghost story than a suspense story - I think that would have been a lot creepier. I also didn't understand the point of a couple of the characters, which ended up detracting from the book for me - I kept wondering "Ok, why are we being told about this guy again??" I also found Rainey to be a little annoying - really, after like 3 days in the house how did she continue to think it was a good place for her emotionally scarred kid?? I really didn't feel all that much for any of the characters, which always annoys me. The author also tended to repeat specific things about characters over and over. YES, I UNDERSTAND that this one is gay, you said it 9000x, and that this one over here is a sex addict, because you said it on each of the 10 previous pages.
I'm not entirely sure I'd recommend this - it wasn't horrible and I can sorta see why some people might enjoy it, but it wasn't wasn't I was expecting, and I don't think it was terribly well-done as a suspense/crime novel with slightly spooky elements.
I'm not entirely sure I'd recommend this - it wasn't horrible and I can sorta see why some people might enjoy it, but it wasn't wasn't I was expecting, and I don't think it was terribly well-done as a suspense/crime novel with slightly spooky elements.
November 5, 2016
I enjoy old homes and always imagine the families that once lived there. Of course after meeting the author at a book signing for the 2nd book of the series (Charlotte's Story) I was intrigued. I had to read the stories in order and since my daughter and I were together it made it a bit easier with her buying one book and I buying the other.
A mother starting again after the death of her husband with her young teen daughter. In a big historic family home in Virginia, I found myself more and more curious on how the story would all tie in together. The story does not disappoint and you will find yourself rushing to grab the next book in the series.
A mother starting again after the death of her husband with her young teen daughter. In a big historic family home in Virginia, I found myself more and more curious on how the story would all tie in together. The story does not disappoint and you will find yourself rushing to grab the next book in the series.
March 2, 2020
I had originally put this as 4 stars. But upon further thought, I realized I was left pretty disappointed. It had the makings of something dark and cutting with notes of Southern Gothic. But what promised to be a tale of ghosts and murder against the backdrop of a beautiful old southern mansion (a character in and of itself) turned into a somewhat jumbled mess of a murder mystery. It's fine, I wouldn't say to anyone not to give it a go if you're struggling to find anything else to read but the supernatural elements are really minor and poorly explained. Paid admission for a ghost story and walked out with an ok (just ok) murder story.
November 3, 2014
I liked the author's writing style. She used many beautiful turns of phrase, and the book did hold my interest. However, I did find the plot and characters to be a bit too predictable and cliched. The villains of the book were obviously villains from very early in the story, and I would have preferred for there to be some mystery about that. The story follows the course of so many other "haunted house" books; there was nothing really original here. Still, it was an entertaining read, and I would definitely try another book by this author.
April 15, 2014
Bliss House in Old Gate, Virginia was build for love but over the decades, murder became the norm. Rainey Bliss Adams returns to Virginia with her daughter, Ariel, after the death of her husband hoping for a new start in the old homestead. When ghosts and strange phenomenon become too much to handle and a new murder unearths bones from previous generations, Rainey isn't sure if she's crazy or being stalked by someone in town. A scary read with great characters.
August 5, 2014
Oh my, what a story. Great horror read without being too gratuitous. The details start coming together, and you get a chill. I could barely put this book down! I normally don't go for horror stories, but the reviews I read were so good, and the premise so intriguing I had to give it a shot. It totally pulled me in and kept me reaching for it. The characters are varied and nuanced, and the creepiness builds in a magnificent way. Would definitely recommend!
May 12, 2017
If you enjoy reading paranormal, mystery, thrillers, then this is a book for you. It had been a while since reading anything in this genre, but I was intrigued by the description. Once I started, I was immediately pulled in and couldn't put it down. You never knew where the story was taking you. Laura Benedict has a wonderful writing style and could quickly become a favorite author. I can't wait to read more of her work. I won a copy of this book through Goodreads but all opinions are my own.
July 26, 2014
This book was a bit disappointing. I find the witting to be very amateur and the story to progress slowly. It was all a bit over the top. Some elements of it were relatively entertaining but overall I didn't enjoy this book.
July 2, 2014
Wow!! outstanding haunted house story. Murder, history, modern mystery and well written. The kind of book that keeps you up late at night reading and yet you don't want it to end. I wish I could find a few more books like this one.
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