This Haunted Heart

by S.L. Prater

Her heart will never belong to anyone else.

Finley

Twenty years ago, Rynn abandoned me to an abyss without her. Her betrayal haunts me more than any ghost at my manor ever could. Years of grief and suffering have even changed my face.

But now I’ve found her.

She’s hiding in a den of iniquity, working as a courtesan under a false name. She won't recognize me or the scars that her actions caused—not until it’s too late. My cage is ready for her inside my haunted estate. Rynn’s heart is mine, and I intend to break it.

Rynn

I found a man hiding out in my room. I should have known better than to trust him, but there was a beautiful darkness to him that captivated me. He had the saddest eyes I’d ever seen.

He was just a pretty devil in disguise.

If Finley thinks he can trap me for long inside a cage, even a gilded one, he will rue the day. I always give as good as I get. He can have my heart if he wants it so badly. The organ is nothing but a nuisance.

This Haunted Heart features a morally gray hero facing off against a morally gray heroine set during the Gilded Age with a paranormal twist. It contains mature themes, an intense trauma bond, and banter that never quits. Perfect for readers craving a touch of gothic in their historical romance.

Genres: Gothic, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Dark, Ghosts, Fantasy Romance

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 20, 2025

About the author

S. L. shares her home with three wild little girls and a husband so handsome he makes everyone else look like a potato. In no particular order, she fills her time reading fiction, eating tacos, and serving her community as a child welfare social worker. At night she writes magical kissing books. Sign up for her newsletter at: https://slprater.carrd.co/

Reviews

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

I'm growing to enjoy S.L. Prater and her catalog of books with broken characters and worlds brushed lightly with magic and mysticism.  This Haunted Heart's main characters are both broken by their shared past and the choices made that destroyed them for the last twenty years they spent apart.  This second chance romance with ghosts from the past is full of tender moments and unusual events as the tale of Rynn and Finley is laid bare for the reader.

Rynn's choices and shame led her to a life as a lady of the night.  Finley led a life of loneliness, thinking the girl he loved was dead.  It is twenty years later and in his anger, grief and sense of betrayal he has a plan to make Rynn pay.  One problem, the more he talks to her, the more time he spends with her, the less he wants revenge and the more he just wants her.

“After all I’ve done, you still want me terribly. I bet you hate that, don’t you?”
“I hate it,” I breathed. “I hate wanting you. I want to ruin you. I want to break your heart and carry around the shattered remains inside my breast pocket forevermore. I don’t want to long for your body another moment. It’s a baneful way to exist, wanting you. I wish I hated you.”

Finley has made something of himself since the death of his adoptive Duke of a Father.  He has the perfect house, one he built for the memory of a girl he thought long dead.  When he finds she is not in fact dead, but alive and well he comes up with a plan to lock her away in it.  Sure it isn't exactly rational, but I was pulling for Finley the entire time.  Everyone's secrets will be revealed and teased out as the reader discovers Finley and Rynn's history, along with what makes the house so special.

Personally I love broken and scarred characters.  Both Finley and Rynn are extremely scarred in different ways.  Finley wears his scars on the outside while Rynn's are emotional and some self inflicted. As they dealt with their past and their present, I fell a little in love with the two characters.  Sure Finley kinda kidnaps Rynn, but I was all for it knowing they had a past and what they meant to each other at one time.  The haunted house also added to the ambiance of the story and the ghosts that Finley and Rynn needed to exercise from their pasts.

For me this was exactly the kind of second chance romance I like, with a nice side of paranormal activity.   Characters that both needed to be forgiven and find a way to release the past to find a future.  Great cotton candy kind of read.

“I should have known you were the devil,” she muttered. “Lucifer is always beautiful. I should have known it the second I laid eyes on you."

[eclecticbychoicereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can one even begin to describe a book that is so hauntingly beautiful? And so eerily perfect? I don't know, but I will try my best…

I knew I would love anything S.L. Prater writes, but this book is truly something special. It is definitely my favourite Prater's book so far and one of the most precious books I've read.

This Haunted Heart is a bit darker (or should I say, grey) compared to her other books, but that makes it so unique. I cried so many times my heart ached for both main characters equally. They were both so deeply wounded and traumatized, so haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, figuratively and literally. It took them time to dig deeper and truly understand what had happened and why everything turned out the way it did. Wh both of their hearts were so broken and so haunted, admittedly for different reasons.

Rynn and Loch have captured my heart, and I rooted for them both to find ways to forgive each other and forgive themselves. And then came that cathartic moment of literally purging the past and starting anew, making me cry once again. These two are worth your time, and This Haunted Heart is a book you must read and experience.

This Haunted Heart, a gaslamp romance with paranormal elements, will haunt your heart and soul as soon as it gets released on January 27th.

[Meg (fantasybook.adventurer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨A Haunted Heart✨

Wow. I already knew I would love anything by Prater, but this… this book is some special. So agonizingly and beautifully tortured and painful and perfect. The haunting ache is so palpable. So tantalizing. So REAL. I have to say, I think this is my favorite book by her yet.

In this gaslamp fantasy tale, we get dual POVs and they’re such a delight. First, Lochlan, our broken and vengeful MMC who has found out his lost love isn’t dead and is set out to make her pay for his heartache. Second, our vixen FMC, Rynn, who ran away from her abusive boss, leaving the love of her life behind. She has now worked her way up as a courtesan to retire. At least, until she’s kidnapped and finds herself under the lock and key of a mysterious man, Finley, and his house of ghosts.

This book is a dark heart filled with hope. It is full of an ache and a longing that is so tangible and heartbreaking, but as always, Prater doesn’t keep us only on the down. No, she brings us on the up with banter that is so hilarious and witty, swoony romance and spice, as well as an ending that makes you giggle and kick your feet.

I have read many of Prater’s books and this one hits deeper than the others in the best kind of way. While she is well known for her quips and whimsy, this one brought a “friends to estranged enemies to lovers” emotion that I found my own self falling in love with. I was previously in a book slump, but this healed my wallowing heart.

Tropes you may find in AHH are ghosts, gothic gaslamp Pennsylvania, all the banter, medium spice, forced proximity, tortured pasts, broody morally grey MMC, captive x captor, touch her and ☠️, he builds a house for her, and a delightful ending.

It is such a joy to once again be an arc reader for SL Prater. Thank you so much for this opportunity!!

Yall. This book releases January 27 and you NEED IT.

[Erika Gaarz-Mosher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was an intense roller coaster ride of emotions! I first became a fan of SLP from reading Coven of Ill Repute. I love the whimsy goth atmosphere and characters of all her books. This one definitely takes a turn for the darker side. The relationship of the two main characters goes back and forth from delightful to incredibly toxic. They have a LOT of trauma built up from their pasts, and their treatment of each other could get frustrating at times. But they still managed to be endearing characters and watching their journey to confront their ghosts (both figuratively and literally) was devastating and beautiful. My only reason for not giving 5 stars were just small matters that irked me-mainly that I wanted the ghost aspect explained a little bit more. Second, maybe a very slight spoiler-it bothered me that it took Rynn so long to recognize the love of her life. Sure, twenty years can change a person, but it felt like a real stretch to me.

[Scarlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all thank you S.L Prater for letting me read this!🥺 i had already read Dance With The Dragon Duke last year which i absolutely loved and now i got to read this as an ARC😍

Something i personally really love is the POVs of both male and female leads!

This story is about Finley and Rynn who knew each other from very early in their lifes! Rynn left Finley in a tragic way which made Finley think she was no longer alive until he finds out she is still alive and has just left him! Her betrayal haunts him and he wants vengeance!

Its a gothic romance filled with revenge plots, lovers to enemies to lovers and paranormal!

Personally i really devoured this book. The characters were written in such a way that i felt for both of them. While they were turned to enemies they still needed each other and they knew but didn't want to give in because their past trauma's and hurt.

World building was not more then you absolutely needed to know! There were side characters weaved into their stories like ghosts. I loved that these ghosts were weaved into their trauma's and suffering and how they healed and eventually were able to mentally let go of the ghosts. One of my favourite scenes was them trauma bonding through closing the whole chapter together of his father with destroying the house they grew up in. I honestly had tears reading that!

Overall once again such a great book❤️

[Rebecca Friedlander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a note to readers: at the time of review (this is an ARC review) the warnings say implied consent but the first half of the book is more dubious consent in my opinion. Also this is a way darker book than most of SL Prater’s writing. It’s still very beautiful and I cried through most of it. I appreciated the themes of healing and forgiveness and growth. I really felt the deep connection between the characters and I loved the strength of both of them. It’s not my typical kind of book but I would definitely recommend it to any reader whose looking for a dark romance that’ll stay with you, especially if you liked Jane Eyre a lot in high school.

Thank you SL Prater for the ARC.

[KMart Vet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prater has a knack for crafting standalone romances that make me fall hard for the characters in such a short time, and This Haunted Heart was no exception. What surprised me most was how much softer and more vulnerable this story was beneath its dark, gothic surface. I went in expecting a sharp, vengeance-fueled game between Finley and Rynn, and while that’s definitely part of their dynamic, what truly shines is the deep, aching love that lingers between them—whether Rynn realizes who Finley is or not.

Their cat-and-mouse relationship is packed with tension, witty banter, and emotional depth. Both are complex, flawed characters shaped by years of separation, grief, and misunderstanding. I loved how their preconceived notions about one another slowly unraveled, revealing not just old wounds but a connection neither of them can truly sever. The gothic atmosphere adds so much to the story—haunted estates, dark secrets, witches in the woods, and a sense of inevitable fate pulling them together.

The spice is incredibly well-written—present, but never gratuitous, fitting seamlessly within the emotional journey rather than overshadowing it. Prater balances longing, passion, and heartbreak beautifully, making this a fun and deeply satisfying romance. I adored every moment with these two and would happily read another book just to stay in their world a little longer!

Thanks so much to booksirens and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, quite literally, have the first few sentences highlighted…. I was immediately drawn into the story. The dynamic between the MMC and FMC is magnetic and I loved them both instantly. This was my first novel by S.L. Prater and it definitely won’t be my last. I was not expecting (can you tell I don’t read blurbs really?) the paranormal twist… it gave just the perfect eerie feeling. The underlying tones of forgiveness and redemption were lovely. The traumatic past of both main characters was quite literally heartbreaking.

[Jeannette Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I’m generally not someone who loves second chance romances but the plot of this book made it an interesting read. The paranormal aspects I loved since it was a part of story but not overtaking the story. The spice was also very well done it wasn’t overdone or played out, it flowed with the story. Overall this book was a great read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Caitlin Sachsenmeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This Haunted Heart was a quick and fun read! I loved the banter between Rynn and Lochlan. Their relationship was a roller coaster, but definitely a fun ride. 😏 I do wish there was a little more world building. There is some background of Lochlan and Rynn throughout the book but I would have loved more. A fun gaslamp romance to read!

[Nicole (Happily_After_HEAs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ish
Second chance
Secret identity
Kidnapping (what!?)
I think I hate you.... the feeling is mutual
And now I'm horny for you, great.
This book was dark and has the reader asking, what is going on (just for a bit), and then wondering how the big reveal will unravel. Highly enjoyed! And the hauntings, too!

[Elizabeth]

Sounds too dark for me

[Ohoyo Tohbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review
Poe + Heathcliff + Beauty & the Beast + TWs galore

This is my very first ARC assignment review. I received a free copy of the story. This review is given voluntarily.

This is difficult for me to write. I have dragged my feet on this ARC review for weeks. I have been, and still am, an avid fan of the author’s ever since the days spent in Kriegspiel. IYKYK.

This may be a little disjointed. I am one of those people that do not like spoilers in reviews. This will limit some of my response, but I did first email my entire review back to the appropriate person.

I didn’t love it. Not even close. In fact, it just happens to be my least favorite of theirs to date. If I had to grade it, I’d give it 4 stars being generous but really 3.75 in my heart of hearts. That doesn’t mean it’s not good. Hear me out.

This story is HEAVY and dark. It is one of the darkest of darks and it involves children. The single most important thing I could emphasize to any potential reader is to truly read, AND TAKE IN, what the provided Content Advisory from the author says at the beginning of the book. REALLY AND TRULY understand the depth of what it’s telling you is in there. And only THEN decide if you want to proceed. I heavily debated myself and ultimately, I chose to continue.

When I got the ARC, I was so excited and honored. I still am. But I remember the moment reading that Content Advisory and thinking, “Oh, no. What have I gotten myself into?” and debating on whether or not to continue because of the subject matter. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, especially not one of my favorite authors, extra especially not when it was my very first ARC!

The majority of the story felt like how this looks.
argue. Argue. ARGUE! ARGUEARGUEARGUE!!!
It was emotionally taxing, exhausting, a LOT to ask of a reader, not because of the depth, but because of the constant continuation. I felt like I needed mild battle armor to get through it. It felt like how that Adam Driver angry crying yelling meme from Marriage Story looks, too. That image constantly popped in my head while reading this. It felt like the story from 25% in to 75% in was the same argument over and over and over again and they were so entrenched in their positions that there was no movement for resolution. The reader could sympathize with both sides and I only took her side by default of also being a woman. They were both valid. They were both excruciatingly detailed in their pain and both due their wrath. But that also made it so hard to go forward. It was a stalemate.

There was that slight he made about sex workers and I thought she came back with that verbal punch perfectly.

The resolution at the end felt fake to me and honestly, kind of cheap. I think one of them needed to budge a little. I don't know how. I'm not the author. After going through something that weighty, though, we needed something more substantial.

There are so many instances where it feels like the MMC gets kicked down. It wears on the heart after a time.

The FMC has some great internal battles!

There is some top-notch banter between the two main characters.

The spice is sultry, seductive, enticing, mesmerizing... I loved it.

I loved the MMC’s beginning portion of the story and his internal perspective.

There is a truly touching storyline with the ghostly staff. It brought tears to my eyes.

There is a canyon-wide divide of class and battles regarding it.

There is a very powerful catharsis at one point that was the ultimate bittersweet chef’s kiss. It was written so well that I could see it, feel it, smell it, taste and hear it. I completely believed I was right beside them (with rocks). It makes your heart soar. At least, it did for mine.

One thing I want to be abundantly clear on is this. Just because the author is tackling these extremely weighty themes, it doesn't mean it was bad. It was just a LOT and heavy and daunting. And that's part of the author's skill, right? They write so well that these major feelings came across with such visceral punch that it leaves readers on the floor. The author did their job. They transported me. I could taste the dust, feel the rich fabrics, smell the dishes on the table, clearly see the storm clouds, and hear the wind (and other things) in those trees. I was there. And that’s WHY this story impacted me so much. The author’s talent and craft made that happen.

I absolutely know that core fans will love and follow your work forever. Not everything is going to be like what you've written in the past. And everyone is entitled to their favorite.

I am truly so honored that you gave me this chance. I hope I get another chance some day. From the bottom of my reader heart, thank you.

[Elsa Rosell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Haunted Heart by S. L. Prater - 4,25🌟

“There is no beauty in the world for me, no grace or sweetness, that could touch yours. Not in art, or the poetry you hate, not in all creation, not even in fiction. There is just you for me. Always you!”

In this gothic historical romance with a paranormal twist, Finley and Rynn are bound by betrayal, obsession, and a shared darkness. When Finley traps Rynn in his haunted estate to claim her heart, he discovers she’s just as ruthless as he is—setting the stage for a fiery battle of wills.

“Hurt me, kill me—fine. I’d haunt her heart for the rest of her days, but how dare she try to leave me.”

This Haunted Heart is a beautifully haunting gaslamp fantasy that had me captivated from the start. Reminiscent of gothic classics like Wuthering Heights and The Count of Monte Cristo, and starring 20-year-old heartbreak, this book had me holding my breath to see if Rynn and Finley would fix or kill each other.

The two main characters—a scarred, inside and out, vengeful man and a light-fingered retired courtesan—make an explosive combination. I really felt the desperation and emotional weight of their connection, especially as their past traumas collide with their present. The way they navigate their complex emotions, swinging between tender love and downright toxic hatred, had me aching and longing the entire time. The exploration of their shared trauma made this take a much darker turn than I anticipated, and while Rynn and Loch were sometimes horrid to each other, I loved seeing how they embarked on a journey to forgive themselves and one another for the pain they had caused. The dialogue sparkles with tension and humour, but beneath that, you can feel the deep emotional scars both characters carry.

The setting could be considered its own character—a splendid manor in Pennsylvania’s wooded, swampy countryside filled with ghosts from their pasts, haunting both the rooms and their minds. They add a layer of mystery and dread but also serve as metaphors for the emotional baggage Lochlan and Rynn are trying to shake off. While I wasn’t always clear on the “rules” of the ghostly world, their presence felt like an added layer to the haunting atmosphere and emotional depth. It’s not just about literal ghosts; it’s about the shadows of the past that haunt the characters' hearts. One of the things I love about Prater’s work is her ability to create such rich worldbuilding. The titbits of lore on the weaver women were fascinating, and the subtle historical references to 19th-century Pennsylvania really added texture to the story.

The writing, as always, was beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and a lyrical quality that pulled me into the world without feeling overwhelming. Prater has an uncanny ability to create an emotional pull with her words, keeping the reader immersed in both the characters’ inner turmoil and the eerie atmosphere surrounding them.

I truly hope we get to revisit this world, as I feel the worldbuilding—as it happens with many of Prater’s books that I’ve read—is so rich in hints and details that it deserves to be explored more through more characters. I’m especially intrigued by Josephine’s story.

Overall, This Haunted Heart is a dark, emotional rollercoaster with moments of lightness and humour to balance out the heaviness. It’s a beautifully written, haunting love story about two characters working through their deep wounds to find healing and forgiveness. If you love a slow-burn romance filled with emotional depth, ghosts, and a touch of wit, this book is definitely worth reading.


Once again, thank you to the author for the eARC. Here's to many more to come.

Instagram: @librisinetenebris

[ChellesOfBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Content Warning: trauma from past child abuse, discussions of physical and emotional abuse as a minor, captive romance/forced captivity, toxic romance, the author states its implied consent, but I'd say it's more dubious consent, blackmail, stealing, really morally grey characters

Thank you to the author for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I will start this review by saying this is not my usual type of read. If it were written by any other author, I wouldn't have picked it up and given it a go, as I'm not very fond of many themes in this novel. However, SL Prater has an innate gift for making a storyline work regardless of how morally grey her characters are.

Rynn and Finley are two characters with extremely dark pasts, and subsequently suffer from a toxic obsession for their first true love. I found their relationship wholly unfathomable, but if there was anyone who deserved each other, it's these two. The story starts with Prater's signature delightful banter as Rynn meets a strange yet handsome man in her chambers. For the longest time, she doesn't know that Finley is actually Lochlan, the one person she holds a lot of guilt and grief over. And Loch, disguising himself under his last name Finley is setting the trap to bring the woman who he had spent the last twenty years grieving obsessively over back to the mansion he built just for her. The tale takes quite a dark turn from here, and I'll admit, it was darker than I could handle at times. I don't read dark romance, and this definitely fits the bill for readers of this sub-genre who are looking for a gothic feel and gaslamp world-setting. I struggled with the relationship aspect a lot, especially when they kept physically taking from each other when they really needed to communicate better. Prater did set the pair up to suffer together before they could heal, and there are some good moments of reconciliation towards the end. The use of healing and forgiveness as themes later in the book does help you feel more for the characters, especially when Finley's plan to trap Rynn doesn't fulfil whatever he was expecting and is at a loss of how to act.

I would have appreciated more information around the actual spirits haunting Finley and Rynn, and whilst we get the information for why their past abuse could have been happening due to hauntings of another character, I still didn't quite get enough time with this aspect of the plot, which is a shame. I wanted to understand the spirits that Finley saw and why they were tethered to him earlier in the book. It felt like this was thrown in to aid more of the gothic vibes without truly explaining it. I liked the world-setting of Gaslamp Pennsylvania, and Prater's very good at making the world feel accurate and rich, even when there's a slight paranormal or fantasy element to it. Overall, fans of dark stories like this will enjoy the tortured characters and their spicy romance, but I was not the right reader to truly appreciate this tale, and my rating reflects this.

[Anais (atrailofpages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rynn Mavis betrayed Lochlan Finley years ago, and after learning she’s alive after suffering such grief of her loss, Lochlan has finally found her and is determined to take her and punish her and make her his.

Rynn Mavis has finally made enough money to retire and live somewhere far away and alone, until she meets a mysterious and intriguing and sad stranger that she’s drawn to who invites her to stay with him at his home for the summer, which she agrees wondering if she’s doing the right thing.

Prater writes some of the best romances I’ve ever read. I’m always so drawn to the characters and their stories and then the romance that builds between the two always draws me in.

I love emotional books and this one lives up to that expectation and I loved every moment of it. This particular story is just filled and oozing with emotion and heartache. My heart felt like it was going to explode from the sadness and heartache. Each of their stories haunt them so much and the fact that they needed each other, and yet couldn’t seem to let go of what the other may have done or not done just left me so sad and hoping they would make up. It made the romance so much more potent. They clearly loved each other, still do, and want each other, but are so wary and hesitant of the other.

It truly focused on how these two were so haunted by their past and learning to let it go, to literally burn down their past to end its haunting and finally forgive each other and be together again.

There are steamy moments, but they weren’t often and seemed to occur during pivotal moments that made sense and added to the emotion and to the story. There are also spooky moments, but it seemed almost to be more metaphorical and less literal in the sense they are both haunted by their pasts and needed to learn how to let their pasts go.

I will always recommend Prater’s books, I can never do it enough. So just read this one. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to BookSirens and the author for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Lisa Conant · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5
🌶🌶 1/2 out of 5

🕯Gaslamp Romance
🏰He Builds a Mansion For Her
🥺Tr@matic Past
👻They See Ghosts
🔍Mystery
🗯Banter
🙈C@ptive

✨️Review:
This was a fun bit of gaslamp romance that has the trademark snarky FMC, Rynn, and a somewhat mysterious and gruff MMC, coming together for some verbal fireworks. But there's definitely some serious emotional stuff tackled too.

Our couple is quickly likable and felt connected to them. I especially loved how we're introduced to Finley. The mystery of his identity and intentions unfolds with effective pacing.

This actually turns into quite the exploration between these two forgiving one another of the past events and actions that tore them apart. Pain, grief, lost time, questions of why and how one decision can be so life altering....they are quite heavy questions. Amidst this we have the other tell tale component in Prater's stories which is a fantastical element, in this case ghosts. They can both see them, though I was a little lost as to the "why's" and the rules of how only certain ones appear, but they metaphorically added a layer of further pain to Finley (since their prescence over the years has not always been friendly).

With elements of revenge, a richly inherited MMC, and a 20 yr gap reunion, it also has echoes of The Count of Monte Cristo (which I'm all about!). Overall, a solid historical romance with hints paranormal and well done heart of the story about these two working through their grief, regrets, moving past the pain of the past but also burning that flame of their love even brighter despite all the heartache.

[Julie 🕊️ ~books.and.chocolat3~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 + 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 + 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄✨

« 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑘𝑖𝑠𝑠 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑙𝑦 »

« 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛. 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒. 𝑅𝑦𝑛𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤. »

✨Childhood Friends
✨1st person dual POV
✨First love
✨Older MCs (38 yo)
✨Scarred MMC
✨Captive
✨Gothic vibes
✨They see dead people
✨She brokes his heart
✨He built her a fairytale manor.
✨He cries in her arms
✨Spice 🌶️🫑
✨Gaslamp
✨Ghosts

An unique and fast captive/captor romance. I love her writing , her words and incomparable worlds where she always sucks me in ..
this one was no exception.

Like an onion, I peel away at the story to discover new twists, and begin to understand when I thought I wouldn’t.

I feel their emotions, their pain and love .. Healing and forgiveness are the major subjects of this book ! beautiful 👌

[Destinee · Rating 5 out of 5]

S. L. Prater is definitely one of my favourite authors, and they never disappoint, but boy was I blown away. I was immediately hooked and then happily dragged along on this dark, heartbreaking, hope-filled delight. I haven't handed out a 5-star rating in a while, even to Prater, but this book deserved it. I don't even know how to articulate how much I loved this book.

Maybe I'm just on a book high but it felt like I knew Rynn and Loch and could feel everything they felt, which to me is a great sign of a well-written story. Wonderful read, just wonderful!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[chel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The premise was intriguing, and honestly, that was what made me go through the whole book. But it was very unfortunate of me that I felt this a little boring. Arguments between the main characters sometimes make me forget that they're in their 30s

I didn't connect with both characters, and they'd go smutty and all that, and I just didn't care at all

The writing is fine and all that, I think this book is just not for me

[Stacy Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! I loved that it’s a sort of historical revenge-romance between former lovers with ghosts in a haunted house…such a cool concept! The story kept my attention the whole time and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The library was my favorite room in the house—I want one just like it!!

[Michelle Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to start my reading journey in 2025.
I love that both characters have broken hearts because of the same incident but have each dealt with it differently.
Lochlan hiding from the world and Rynn losing herself in a crowd.
Finding their way back to each other was so painfully sweet to read. Even at their meanest to each other their love shone through.
I love the way the characters come to life with their banter towards each other.
I received an advanced reader copy and these thoughts are my own.

[Gabriela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not know what to expect from The Haunted Heart but I am so happy with what I received.

This steamy dark romance took me captive from the beginning and released me with the final page. It was an intense roller coaster ride of emotions.

I like the goth atmosphere and the characters. The relationship between the two main characters goes back and forth from delightful to incredibly toxic. They have a lot of trauma from their past but they still manage to confront their gosts.

[Bethany Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great gothic standalone romance! We follow Loch, who is intent on seeking revenge on the woman who broke his heart 20 years ago.

I'm not normally a fan of second chance romance, but I really enjoyed this one. I think because the main characters have both changed so much in their 20 years apart, it feels fresh and exciting. This book is full of longing, heartbreak, trauma, and wit that I was hooked.

One of my favourite things is great banter between the main characters, and this story did not disappoint with the banter. But what makes it better is we get 2 different banter styles. We have the flirty banter at the beginning where Rynn doesn't know who Flynn is and it's all fun and games. Then we get the tension fuelled banter that borders on flirting and hating (which is the best kind)

Tropes:
Second chance romance
Haunted house
She's stabby
They steal from each other
Older mc's
Trauma Bonded
Dual pov

[fatheen · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 80% (spoilers ahead)


I think I accidentally read the wrong book bc there's no way this one has so many 5 star reviews.
the blurb says that this book involves a morally gray MMC but HES SO NORMAL LIKE, SHE BETRAYED HIM, HE SWEARS HE'LL GET HIS REVENGE AND THEN TAKES HER TO HIS MANSION THAT HE BUILT FOR HER.

also there's no way any of these characters ARE 38 FREAKING YEARS OLD THEY ACT LIKE TEENAGERS ?!?!

[Beth’s Book Collection · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I still hate you,” she rumbled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, hellcat,” I said, hugging her to me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

What you’ll find in this book:
- Ties Her Up & Does Her Nails
- Builds Her a Haunted Mansion
- Trauma Bonded
- She Likes Knives
- He Hates Ghosts
- She Puts a Snake in His Trousers
- Steals From Him
- Captive Romance
- They See Dead People
- Gothic Romance

This is the perfect gothic romance if you are looking for a book that is eerily beautiful, and steeped in the emotional turmoil of two souls hopelessly in love with the broken versions of one another. If you’re looking for a dark gas lamp romance set in the Gilded Age with a paranormal twist, then look no further. I honestly didn’t know that a gothic romance could feel cozy until S.L. Prater wrote it, and damn does she write it well.

We begin our story with our mysterious MMC in his search for a woman from his past in order to enact his revenge and get the penance he feels he rightly deserves for the broken heart beating in his chest. When Finley finds Rynn, he holds her captive, but Rynn is not one to be kept in anyone’s gilded cage and gives as good as she gets. These two morally grey individuals then go head to head in order to avoid the ghosts haunting them, the question then quickly becomes can they overcome and let go of their past in order to move forward into their future.

Set in a haunted mansion where our MMC, Finley, holds our FMC, Rynn, captive as he is haunted by the ghosts of his past. We read as we uncover layer by layer the history that these two have and why the line between punishment and love is so blurred. The banter and threats between these two was my favourite aspect of the book and I wouldn’t have had these characters any other way. The dynamic between Finley and Rynn is so unique, with a rollercoaster of emotions between these two from potential lovers, to captive and keeper, where the heated interactions then come into play. As much as Finley tries to hate Rynn due to their past, neither of them can deny their chemistry and these leads to some brutal and passionate collisions.

Reading this book the pages simply flew by, I was finished not long after I felt like I started but I thoroughly enjoyed the story word for word. The book progresses at what feels like a natural pace, without rushing or leaving anything behind. As with all of S.L. Praters books it was a whirlwind of romance, with those cozy vibes I’ve come to know and love from her writing.

Thank you to the author for sending me and e-ARC to read and review yearly.

Author: S.L. Prater
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: January 27th 2025

[Teela (bookdragontee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart shouldn't be able to shatter more than once. Certainly not over the same woman. If only the organ could be reasoned with, I could have spared myself the anguish. No ghost would ever haunt me as much as Rynn's betrayal did.

This Haunted Hearted is my favorite S.L. Prater book to date. It had so much of what I already love of her books - the banter, the endearing grumpiness, the cozy romance of it all - but this was something more and I don't think I'll be able to stop thinking about this book for some time. The poignant, evocative emotion. The organic chemistry between our two mains. I loved every page of this book.

The story follows a complicated romance between childhood sweethearts, Lochlan and Rynn. The problem? It's been twenty years since they've seen each other and for the majority of that time, he was convinced she was dead.

What follows is a clever ruse worthy of the most roguish of pirates (IYKYK), a dubious kidnapping, a haunted mansion, and heart-aching revelations that managed to squeeze a few tears out of me.

I'd have been less offended if she'd tried to kill me with a viper. Hurt me, kill me - fine. I'd haunt her heart for the rest of her days.

But how dare she try to leave me.

Just the thought of her abandoning me to the abyss again was enough to fuel my steps despite the stitch growing in my side. I wasn't just angry; I was in angony, picturing her vanishing from my life. Leaving me to the ghosts and the misery she'd caused. Alone in hellfire once more.

These two have suffered so much in their time apart and while I was painful (in the best way) to watch these two not only struggle with the fact that they still love each other, but also having to come to terms with their mutually shared and individual pain they've been carrying for half of their lives - basically, I'm both impressed and grateful Steph didn't shy away from the hard stuff - from the difficult conversations, the hard pills that needed swallowing, and the forgiveness and atonement both craved but didn't know how to give.

This book is gothic and beautiful and an official contender for top 10 favorite new releases of 2025.

Seriously - read this book.

There was such a thing as loving someone too much, and I was proof of that. I loved her in a manner that consumed and destroyed and drove me to madness.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing gothic romance. If you are a Brontë fan, you HAVE to read this book. I added this to my TBR immediately when I saw the author pitch it as "Heathcliff x Irene Adler plus ghosts"; I was the girl who read Wuthering Heights at a (probably too) young age and cried because Heathcliff didn't get a happy ending, so I already had a strong suspicion I would love this book. But I ended up loving it even more than I expected; the characters, the plot, the gothic vibes were all perfect. Loch & Rynn and their relationship completely captured my heart, and I would read an entire series about this couple.

Readers should be aware that this is a darker romance; there is kidnapping, and more. I didn't feel that it was super dark, especially for a gothic-style novel; but every reader is different, so please check trigger warnings if you need to. Sometimes I feel that dark romances are dark just for the sake of it; but this one had genuine heart and emotion behind the plot, along with emotionally resonant backstories for the characters & satisfying character arcs.

And speaking of characters- our main characters are the worst, but in the best way. I grinned my way through their antics, banter, and general bad behavior while internally cheering for them to kiss the entire time. (And a lot of kissing happens- this is a spicy book!) But they are also complex characters battling past trauma, and there were devastatingly emotional moments between them as well. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew Loch & Rynn, and their relationship was deeply important to me; which I think is the sign of a great romance.

I would recommend This Haunted Heart to readers who enjoy gothic romance, charmingly badly behaved characters, and romance with emotional depth.

Thank you to the author for an arc! I really, really hope this is the start of a gothic-themed romance series, I would read them all. All thoughts & opinions in my review are my own.

[Ariane Bilodeau (bibi.reads.writes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐ rounded up to 4.

I have mixed feelings about this one. There are things I absolutely loved, and others that really turned me off.

Prater’s writing always delights me, and I love love love the atmosphere and paranormal aspects in the novels I’ve read so far. (I have to admit I expected a higher emphasis on the paranormal twist, but I still enjoyed the “haunted mansion” vibes with the mischievous-but-helpful ghosts and feminist forest witches.) I think the first part was slightly too long and repetitive, but I really started to enjoy the story once the characters arrived at the house. I loved the whole “figurative and literal” ghosts-of-the-past trope as well as how themes like forgiveness and healing were explored. I also LOVED some details like the FMC not having an orgasm *every single time* and that being totally okay. (YES! THANK YOU!)

What turned me off, however, was the toxicity of the relationship. I can get behind stalker/kidnapper romance, BUT I can’t deal with anti-feminist details such as the FMC taking all the blame for the MMC’s wrong choices and actions. The amount of shaming the FMC gets vs. the MMC---urgh. For me, that’s a big, big no. I just couldn’t root for them.

Read if you like: Gaslight-era vibes, haunted mansions, love/hate relationships, kinks, more spice than plot, captive romance.

Note: I received an ARC from BookSirens in exchange for honest feedback.

❤️ The second half
❤️ Gothic/Gaslamp vibes
❤️ Interesting themes (forgiveness, trauma, healing)
❤️ Forest witches and ghosts
❤️ Poetic prose
❌ The first half
❌ The MMC
❌ Anti-feminist approach
❌ Toxic tropes
❌ Some cringey details (e.g., morning ablutions and weeping cocks)

Tropes to expect: shared trauma, first love, betrayal and heartache, hidden identity, second chances, abduction as romance, letting go of the past

Trigger warnings: kidnapping and confinement, dubious consent, stalking, toxic relationship, physical and emotional abuse, death and grief, murder, violence, blood and gore, theft, gaslighting, etc.

Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes

[Alleenah_ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, my, this story was so packed with emotions! And I felt every single one of them as if they were my own. I could feel Rynn's regret for the choices she made in the past, I could feel Finley's resentment and need to get revenge. I could feel the love they still had for eachother...if only they could let go of that bitterness... But when you hold something so close to your heart for decades, letting go might prove to be the hardest thing.

This is a second chance spicy love story, in the gaslamp era, so it has a historical romance vibe. Both characters are somewhat morally grey, so pairing them with a gothic haunted manor (yes, there are ghosts in it ), gives this story a dark romance feel to it. Not too dark, though, in my opinion.

Both these characters went through hell in their shared history together, ever since childhood. But even so, I felt like Rynn managed to keep a sunshine personality. Although her life has been anything but perfect, she always tried to make the best of it, and she still had the capacity to light up every room she walked in.

One of my favorite things in this book were the weaver women and how protective they were of any woman in their proximity. I especially loved how they let Finley know that there will be consequences if his attitude towards Rynn doesn't change. 😉

So, if you love angsty, second chance romance, with a considerable amount of spice ( that doesn't overcome the plot), set in the gaslamp era, and you don't mind your characters to be imperfect (that makes them more real, in my opinion) then you should definitely give this book a go.

P.S. both these characters were the first and only love for eachother, but in the time that they were appart, Rynn was a courtesan, so there were definitely other men for her, but no emotional attachment.

Thank you to SL Prater for offering me the chance to read an ARC of this book. 🤗