House of Ash and Spirit

by Alessandra Benini

In House of Ash and Spirit, newlyweds Eleanor and Alex move into their dream home, ready for a new beginning. But the house is far from empty. Shadows whisper, fire blazes through Eleanor’s dreams and bleeds into her waking sight, and a presence tied to her past has returned.

As she uncovers long-hidden secrets about the mother she never knew and the grandmother who tried to protect her, Eleanor is drawn into a paranormal legacy that threatens her sanity, her marriage, and her life.

A paranormal tale of love, loss, and ghosts that will not rest—House of Ash and Spirit can Eleanor survive the haunting truth within the walls, or will the house claim her as its own?

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2024

About the author

Alessandra's passion for writing began at a young age and she has always dreamed of becoming an author. Growing up, she was drawn to paranormal and horror stories, eagerly devouring any material she could find. With a background in psychology and a fascination with the workings of the mind, it felt natural for her to combine her two passions. When she's not lost in a book or writing, you can find her at home with her needy cat Loui, watching scary movies. She currently resides in El Salvador with her husband and their three children.

Reviews

[Matt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A character driven supernatural mystery

I thought this was an interesting supernatural mystery with strong characters, but told in a form that, IMO, hurt the story.

After the initial set up of, a young couple buys a new house and some very light supernatural things happen, we jump away from that main story to a deep dive into the history of the main character Elenor and the different relationships and trama she’s had in her life.

I liked learning about the characters but I wish it was peppered in with the main story. Like as the supernatural things happened, the past experiences would drop in to give context to the main plot.

Personally, I like more suspense and intense build up for mystery stories than this one had, but I still enjoyed following the MC’s investigation into her past.
I also thought it was weird how in the last 20 pages the story got very religious, seemingly out of nowhere.

If you like slightly supernatural mysteries and extremely character driven plots then give this a read.

[Lyha Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

Was really well written. It took me a second to get into. When I did, it took me for a great ride

[x.finalgirl_readsbooks.x · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Newlyweds Alex and Elenor step into their new dream home. Everything they’ve wanted is finally coming together and they couldn’t be happier. But, as Elenor starts settling in, she begins to sense something sinister may be in their dream house- a haunting presence tied to a family history she had thought she left behind.

First of all, huge thank you to the author Alessandra Benini for sending a copy of her book my way! I am always happy and grateful for an opportunity to read something new. ‘House of Ash and Spirit’ is a character driven supernatural story about grief and addiction. I enjoyed the characters, and we get a very deep dive into their lives throughout the story. We learn about Elenor’s relationships with people in her life and the impact those relationships have had on her, two very specific impactful people being her Grandmother and her Mom. This book is a hard hitter in the feels and I found myself aching for some of our characters. As the story continues you find out there’s a deeper meaning to the supernatural happenings Elenor is experiencing.

A little bit of a slow start for me personally, however about halfway through I found myself invested in our characters and the life they went through. As for the character background stories, I wish it could have been told a bit differently to add in to the supernatural events more to keep the supernatural events flowing with the past events Elenor looks back on. If you enjoy your horror with a character driven story I think this would be a good read for you!

[Jess Holmes]

This author blessed me with a copy of her new book to review. The main characters Eleanor and Alex purchase their first house together. This is when Eleanor begins to experience the presence of a spirit. I was captivated with these characters’ relationship. I wish there was more dialogue between the two of them. For example, a conversation between these two throughout each page or two that hints at their compatibility. The dialogue needs to also feel more authentic. There is some overuse of words like “it, but, babe”

Some of the sentence structures need a bit of adjusting. This will create a consistent flow without repeating the same material over and over. Then there is also no need to use “ - “ dashes or ; colons. The flow will feel more natural.
The second part of the book is very descriptive. The author’s writing provoked a feeling of compassion from me for Eleanor. I definitely felt Eleanor’s unease with the ominous presence around her.

Thank you for sending me a copy of this book. I truly enjoyed it!

[the.horror.girl.27 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am thankful to have been given an ARC by Alessandra Benini in exchange for an honest review. I was drawn to this book based on the description and have always loved haunted house and possession movies and books. This story is about a couple newly married who buy and move into their dream home but when before they move in, Eleanor, the main character, feels something dark and strange happening. The feeling of being in a raging fire as she walks up inside staircase of the house. Alessandra writes the backstory of Eleanor, her childhood abandonment and traumas and how they relate and weave into her current life with Alex, her husband and their house. I really enjoyed this book and the haunted theme!

[Theenrichmentoffiction1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔥 Book review 🔥

House Of Ash And Fire

Genre- supernatural

A short but page turning read, I've had this on my shelf for awhile and this was a heart rinching novel.

Eleanor is excited having married her long time sweet heart Alex and having a brand new home to call their own, life is more than perfect for the newlywed's.

But Eleanor's pasts starts to creep back into her mind and she feels like she is drowning in questions that never got answered when she was a little girl

Memories and nightmares come back drowning her in a darkness she had long forgotten, hurting her relationship with Alex she will get to the bottom of her situation before it takes over her completely.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spooky book club!

I loved the storyline, but the writing could use more structure. Found myself speed reading some of the setup because it felt repetitive. The first chapters use too many POVs and descriptors but essentially the same information. Such as the chapters involving childhood trauma and addiction. The story wrapped a little too easy. It would have made more sense if there was a religious build.

[Jim Donohue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book was a little slow in grabbing a hold of me, once it did it was a very enoyable read. The story of this couple, purchasing their first home, and the terrors that awaited them, was captivating, to say the least. I do not know the author, but it seemed to me that maybe the book was not written in her native tongue. I could be wrong. The dialogue was a little bit sparse, and the flow a little challenging, but all in all a very fun, enjoyable read. Well done, Alessandra Benini!

[Crystal DeBoard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an interesting story that follows a couple that buy a house. Mixes supernatural events with trauma from the characters past. The flow was a little awkward at times, but it was a good story that i enjoyed. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Kate Pazanin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read for me. I enjoyed it but it took me a couple chapters to get into it. Once I did I really enjoyed it. The author does a great job with the character build. I could have used a little more suspense but over all a good read.

[Sophia miller242i · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best 😀☺️

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleanor and Alex have bought their dream home. Something is in the house. Eleanor is experiencing things. Something from the past haunting her. Heart-breaking haunting tale. Full of heart.