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The House Saphir
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi (2025)The "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" is back! #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer weaves the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before. This is a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery, perfect for fans Meyer's Cinder and Heartless.
Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.
Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.
But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.
But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.
Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.
Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.
But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.
But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2025
752 people are currently reading
94352 people want to read
About the author
Marissa Meyer
83 books132k followersI live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,457 reviews
July 4, 2025
On finishing it, I see why this read so much like a recycled Gilded with a tad less of its charm: The story here is set in the same world.
In the beginning, it sounds intriguing: a post-facto retelling of Bluebeard, in which the action takes place a century after the events of the fairy tale, when the last scion of the noble House Saphir, the line of Bluebeard, hires a witch to rid his ancient mansion of the evil influence of his serial murderer ancestor, who is refusing to leave for the other life and threatening to take over the place again. On the surface, it reads like a typical Ancient Evil Returns plot, all you need is a feisty character to do some sort of spell or exorcism to vanquish it, and that's it. No complications.
And in that sense, The House Saphir delivers. It has a reliably predictable plotline with a predictable outcome, with some twists that are made to fit in a somewhat forced manner, and an unnecessary death that rubbed me the wrong way because of how it was handled. It seems like Marissa Meyer still has a lot to work with her propensity to pad up her plots to bloat proportions and her penchant for gratuitous shocks/deaths. But, credit where credit is due, she has improved considerably with her endings, and seems to be doing her best to not overstretch her stories because this book was threatening to need a sequel for most of it, and thankfully it ended at the right point, with no cliffhangers.
What to say about the story itself? I found it rather unremarkable as a retelling. If you asked me how does it rank in my Retelling-o-Meter, I'd say "serviceable." And that's all there is to it: There's simply nothing of note here, either plot-wise or character-wise.
Because, when you look at it or you come to this straight from Gilded, you'll notice the "reheated" leftovers vibe. Mallory is a reheated Serilda: a god-blessed/cursed fraudster with a sassy mouth and easy-to-drop pantalettes, Armand is a somewhat brighter but equally professional himbo as Gild, the world is the same but with French flavouring instead of German, the creatures are pretty much the same but with a French skin instead of German, the ghosts are pretty much like the ones in Gilded in all but name, the gods here are the same . . . and so on, and so forth.
In sum, it's send the Erlkönig back to Verloren again, but without the Erlkönig.
Or, if you want me to do the pantalettes-dropping and be completely honest, The House Saphir was so meh to me because it lacks the soul, the spice, and the life of the party. It doesn't have an Erlkönig.
No, not even a low-fat, gluten-free, and sugarless Erlkönig wannabe.
How disgraceful.
Oh, sure, this does have a Big Bad: Count Bastien Saphir, a zero in evildoer epicness. He's practically a caricature that I'm surprised he even achieved anything. Well, now that I think of it, he achieved anything for plot reasons only, and for those plot reasons Marissa Meyer had to alter the soul of the Bluebeard fairy tale. I should've guessed it, it's always authors that claim to love a fairy tale the ones that torpedo its message the most. I'm seriously starting to wonder if not understanding (or caring for) a fairy tale's core message is a requisite for some people to consider themselves a fan.
Why do I say this? Simple, look at the plotline here. The events of the tale happened as they should, but somehow we're suddenly told that no, they didn't really happen, that the tale was 50% completed a century ago, and the remaining 50% has to be completed in this century by the descendants. Fine, but with the same villain? And using magic as a cop-out to get rid of him, and giving him the It's the last part that bothers me the most, it happens so out of the blue and so inexplicably; it ruins the entirety of the tale's theme for the sake of a character's plot armour.
Bluebeard's last wife shouldn't and mustn't end like that. Not without causing a serious plot issue that can't be ignored.
Seems to me like Meyer might want to write more retellings set in this same world, there are hints at that in this book, and they'll probably be the same Send Evil Spirit Back to the Otherworld plots. I hope I'm wrong, because I don't think it'll work for other tales. It didn't quite work for Bluebeard because of the Gilded 2.0 regurgitation and for the handling of the fairy tale plot. She should pivot to the Seven and their gifts and curses, there's more potential in that, especially for Sleeping Beauty, Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Snow White and Rose Red, if I had to pick tales to suggest.
Anyway, my conclusion on this one is that it's a middle of the road retelling at best: not good, not remarkable in any way, but not terrible. It would've been much better with a compelling villain and a better story for the last wife, in my opinion.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In the beginning, it sounds intriguing: a post-facto retelling of Bluebeard, in which the action takes place a century after the events of the fairy tale, when the last scion of the noble House Saphir, the line of Bluebeard, hires a witch to rid his ancient mansion of the evil influence of his serial murderer ancestor, who is refusing to leave for the other life and threatening to take over the place again. On the surface, it reads like a typical Ancient Evil Returns plot, all you need is a feisty character to do some sort of spell or exorcism to vanquish it, and that's it. No complications.
And in that sense, The House Saphir delivers. It has a reliably predictable plotline with a predictable outcome, with some twists that are made to fit in a somewhat forced manner, and an unnecessary death that rubbed me the wrong way because of how it was handled. It seems like Marissa Meyer still has a lot to work with her propensity to pad up her plots to bloat proportions and her penchant for gratuitous shocks/deaths. But, credit where credit is due, she has improved considerably with her endings, and seems to be doing her best to not overstretch her stories because this book was threatening to need a sequel for most of it, and thankfully it ended at the right point, with no cliffhangers.
What to say about the story itself? I found it rather unremarkable as a retelling. If you asked me how does it rank in my Retelling-o-Meter, I'd say "serviceable." And that's all there is to it: There's simply nothing of note here, either plot-wise or character-wise.
Because, when you look at it or you come to this straight from Gilded, you'll notice the "reheated" leftovers vibe. Mallory is a reheated Serilda: a god-blessed/cursed fraudster with a sassy mouth and easy-to-drop pantalettes, Armand is a somewhat brighter but equally professional himbo as Gild, the world is the same but with French flavouring instead of German, the creatures are pretty much the same but with a French skin instead of German, the ghosts are pretty much like the ones in Gilded in all but name, the gods here are the same . . . and so on, and so forth.
In sum, it's send the Erlkönig back to Verloren again, but without the Erlkönig.
Or, if you want me to do the pantalettes-dropping and be completely honest, The House Saphir was so meh to me because it lacks the soul, the spice, and the life of the party. It doesn't have an Erlkönig.
No, not even a low-fat, gluten-free, and sugarless Erlkönig wannabe.
How disgraceful.
Oh, sure, this does have a Big Bad: Count Bastien Saphir, a zero in evildoer epicness. He's practically a caricature that I'm surprised he even achieved anything. Well, now that I think of it, he achieved anything for plot reasons only, and for those plot reasons Marissa Meyer had to alter the soul of the Bluebeard fairy tale. I should've guessed it, it's always authors that claim to love a fairy tale the ones that torpedo its message the most. I'm seriously starting to wonder if not understanding (or caring for) a fairy tale's core message is a requisite for some people to consider themselves a fan.
Why do I say this? Simple, look at the plotline here. The events of the tale happened as they should, but somehow we're suddenly told that no, they didn't really happen, that the tale was 50% completed a century ago, and the remaining 50% has to be completed in this century by the descendants. Fine, but with the same villain? And using magic as a cop-out to get rid of him, and giving him the It's the last part that bothers me the most, it happens so out of the blue and so inexplicably; it ruins the entirety of the tale's theme for the sake of a character's plot armour.
Bluebeard's last wife shouldn't and mustn't end like that. Not without causing a serious plot issue that can't be ignored.
Seems to me like Meyer might want to write more retellings set in this same world, there are hints at that in this book, and they'll probably be the same Send Evil Spirit Back to the Otherworld plots. I hope I'm wrong, because I don't think it'll work for other tales. It didn't quite work for Bluebeard because of the Gilded 2.0 regurgitation and for the handling of the fairy tale plot. She should pivot to the Seven and their gifts and curses, there's more potential in that, especially for Sleeping Beauty, Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Snow White and Rose Red, if I had to pick tales to suggest.
Anyway, my conclusion on this one is that it's a middle of the road retelling at best: not good, not remarkable in any way, but not terrible. It would've been much better with a compelling villain and a better story for the last wife, in my opinion.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2025
A Hauntingly Perfect Gothic Delight – Meyer Does It Again!
As someone who has devoured every one of Meyer’s previous fantasy novels with near-obsessive fervor, the moment I heard about this haunted mansion-meets-Bluebeard retelling, I practically sprinted to get my hands on it. And let me tell you—it did not disappoint. This book is a spellbinding blend of eerie supernatural mystery, dark fairy tale magic, and just the right dash of simmering romance. If you love stories where ghosts lurk in the shadows, secrets whisper through creaking floorboards, and morally ambiguous characters toe the line between charming and dangerous, then this is your next obsession.
Meet Mallory Fontaine – A Witch Without Magic (But With a Gift Far More Dangerous)
Our heroine, Mallory Fontaine, is the kind of protagonist I live for—sharp-witted, reluctantly brave, and burdened with a past that’s equal parts tragic and fascinating. The daughter of a famously powerful witch, Mallory lost her own magic in a botched childhood ritual meant to summon Death itself. But in its place, she gained something far more unsettling: the ability to see and speak to ghosts.
Now, she scrapes by giving tours of the infamous Saphir House, a decaying gothic mansion with a blood-soaked history. The place is haunted by the endlessly complaining ghost of Triphine, the first (and most melodramatic) wife of the infamous Count Bastien Saphir—better known in folklore as Monsieur Le Bleu, the aristocratic monster who murdered not one, not two, but three of his brides. (And yes, he’s every bit as terrifying as the original Bluebeard legend suggests.)
Mallory’s only family is her sister, Anaiis, a self-proclaimed “spiritual medium” whose séances are about as authentic as a three-dollar bill. Together, they hustle gullible clients with fake potions, staged exorcisms, and chants they literally make up on the spot. It’s a precarious existence, but it’s all they’ve got—until a mysterious stranger named Armand shows up, claiming to be the last living descendant of Le Bleu himself.
A Deal With the (Not-So-Devilish) Devil
Armand is exactly the kind of character I adore—brooding, enigmatic, and hiding more than a few skeletons in his closet (possibly literal ones, given his family history). He offers Mallory and Anaiis an impossible-to-refuse deal: rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu’s vengeful spirit, and he’ll not only clear their legal troubles but pay them enough to disappear forever.
There’s just one tiny problem: Mallory has no idea how to actually banish a ghost.
What follows is a gloriously chaotic, high-stakes haunting where:
✔ Fake mediums must become real exorcists (or at least look convincing).
✔ A whiny ghost wife (Triphine) follows them home like a disgruntled spectral roommate.
✔ A slobbery, werewolf-like voirloup tries to eat them (because why not?).
✔ Two mysterious allies—Fitcher and Constantino—step in with their own shadowy agendas.
✔ And Le Bleu’s spirit grows stronger with every passing night.
Gothic Atmosphere, Dark Fairy Tale Twists, and a Romance That Simmers
What I adored about this book is how Meyer weaves in Bluebeard’s original horror while making it fresh and unpredictable. The mansion itself is a character—dripping with opulence and decay, its halls echoing with the whispers of dead wives. And the supernatural elements? Flawless. From the grotesque voirloup to the eerie rules of Le Bleu’s curse (he needs five victims to complete his ritual—and he’s three down…), every detail feels meticulously crafted.
And then there’s Armand. Ohhh, Armand. Is he a tragic nobleman trying to break his family’s curse? Or is there something darker lurking beneath his shy, antisocial exterior? The chemistry between him and Mallory is deliciously tense, walking the line between trust and suspicion. (And let’s be real—I’m always here for a morally ambiguous love interest.)
Final Verdict: A Must-Read for Dark Fantasy Lovers!
This book is everything I wanted and more—atmospheric, twisty, and packed with monsters both human and supernatural. Meyer’s writing is as sharp as ever, balancing wit and horror in a way that keeps you glued to the page. If you love:
🔮 Retellings with a dark edge (think Naomi Novik or Erin A. Craig)
🏰 Haunted mansions with deadly secrets
👻 Ghosts who are equal parts tragic and terrifying
💀 A villain who’ll give you serious Bluebeard nightmares
…then you need this in your life.
5/5 witchy, haunted, gloriously gothic stars!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
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As someone who has devoured every one of Meyer’s previous fantasy novels with near-obsessive fervor, the moment I heard about this haunted mansion-meets-Bluebeard retelling, I practically sprinted to get my hands on it. And let me tell you—it did not disappoint. This book is a spellbinding blend of eerie supernatural mystery, dark fairy tale magic, and just the right dash of simmering romance. If you love stories where ghosts lurk in the shadows, secrets whisper through creaking floorboards, and morally ambiguous characters toe the line between charming and dangerous, then this is your next obsession.
Meet Mallory Fontaine – A Witch Without Magic (But With a Gift Far More Dangerous)
Our heroine, Mallory Fontaine, is the kind of protagonist I live for—sharp-witted, reluctantly brave, and burdened with a past that’s equal parts tragic and fascinating. The daughter of a famously powerful witch, Mallory lost her own magic in a botched childhood ritual meant to summon Death itself. But in its place, she gained something far more unsettling: the ability to see and speak to ghosts.
Now, she scrapes by giving tours of the infamous Saphir House, a decaying gothic mansion with a blood-soaked history. The place is haunted by the endlessly complaining ghost of Triphine, the first (and most melodramatic) wife of the infamous Count Bastien Saphir—better known in folklore as Monsieur Le Bleu, the aristocratic monster who murdered not one, not two, but three of his brides. (And yes, he’s every bit as terrifying as the original Bluebeard legend suggests.)
Mallory’s only family is her sister, Anaiis, a self-proclaimed “spiritual medium” whose séances are about as authentic as a three-dollar bill. Together, they hustle gullible clients with fake potions, staged exorcisms, and chants they literally make up on the spot. It’s a precarious existence, but it’s all they’ve got—until a mysterious stranger named Armand shows up, claiming to be the last living descendant of Le Bleu himself.
A Deal With the (Not-So-Devilish) Devil
Armand is exactly the kind of character I adore—brooding, enigmatic, and hiding more than a few skeletons in his closet (possibly literal ones, given his family history). He offers Mallory and Anaiis an impossible-to-refuse deal: rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu’s vengeful spirit, and he’ll not only clear their legal troubles but pay them enough to disappear forever.
There’s just one tiny problem: Mallory has no idea how to actually banish a ghost.
What follows is a gloriously chaotic, high-stakes haunting where:
✔ Fake mediums must become real exorcists (or at least look convincing).
✔ A whiny ghost wife (Triphine) follows them home like a disgruntled spectral roommate.
✔ A slobbery, werewolf-like voirloup tries to eat them (because why not?).
✔ Two mysterious allies—Fitcher and Constantino—step in with their own shadowy agendas.
✔ And Le Bleu’s spirit grows stronger with every passing night.
Gothic Atmosphere, Dark Fairy Tale Twists, and a Romance That Simmers
What I adored about this book is how Meyer weaves in Bluebeard’s original horror while making it fresh and unpredictable. The mansion itself is a character—dripping with opulence and decay, its halls echoing with the whispers of dead wives. And the supernatural elements? Flawless. From the grotesque voirloup to the eerie rules of Le Bleu’s curse (he needs five victims to complete his ritual—and he’s three down…), every detail feels meticulously crafted.
And then there’s Armand. Ohhh, Armand. Is he a tragic nobleman trying to break his family’s curse? Or is there something darker lurking beneath his shy, antisocial exterior? The chemistry between him and Mallory is deliciously tense, walking the line between trust and suspicion. (And let’s be real—I’m always here for a morally ambiguous love interest.)
Final Verdict: A Must-Read for Dark Fantasy Lovers!
This book is everything I wanted and more—atmospheric, twisty, and packed with monsters both human and supernatural. Meyer’s writing is as sharp as ever, balancing wit and horror in a way that keeps you glued to the page. If you love:
🔮 Retellings with a dark edge (think Naomi Novik or Erin A. Craig)
🏰 Haunted mansions with deadly secrets
👻 Ghosts who are equal parts tragic and terrifying
💀 A villain who’ll give you serious Bluebeard nightmares
…then you need this in your life.
5/5 witchy, haunted, gloriously gothic stars!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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October 20, 2025
This novel was literally everything! I enjoyed reading the book from start to finish. It was full of adventure, mysterious, dark and emotional! It also gave me a lot of good laughs, which I loved! This was a Bluebeard retelling and I was very impressed with it. This novel has strong character development, even the side characters of this novel stood out to me. It is in a romantic gothic atmosphere, where the two main characters are opposites.
It came with an intriguing plot that I felt was well executed! It is addictive, suspenseful, ghostly and has great character chemistry! This book also includes magic and witches! It is unlike any other book that I have ever read! It is beautifully written and comes with vivid descriptions. This is a young adult romantacy that you don’t want to miss out on! This author is truly the best at fairytale retellings! Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars rating!
Some of the content warnings include murder and violence. Be sure to read the full list before reading the book. I think fans of retellings and this author would really enjoy reading this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Marissa Meyer and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for this digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be published on November 4, 2025!
It came with an intriguing plot that I felt was well executed! It is addictive, suspenseful, ghostly and has great character chemistry! This book also includes magic and witches! It is unlike any other book that I have ever read! It is beautifully written and comes with vivid descriptions. This is a young adult romantacy that you don’t want to miss out on! This author is truly the best at fairytale retellings! Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars rating!
Some of the content warnings include murder and violence. Be sure to read the full list before reading the book. I think fans of retellings and this author would really enjoy reading this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Marissa Meyer and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for this digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be published on November 4, 2025!
June 3, 2025
✦ ✦ ✦ ✧ ✧
⌯⌲ arc review
⋆˙⟡ release: november 4, 2025
♫ now playing: 𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆
── 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 ── .✦
the house saphir follows mallory fontaine, a young woman who can see ghosts. she and her sister have kept themselves afloat by running tours about bastien saphir and selling fraudulent items. until one day when armand saphir, the great grandson to bastien saphir, offers mallory a deal: help remove a ghost from his family’s estate, and he’ll pay them enough to pay the rent for awhile longer. what started out as a (somewhat) easy task escalates as the stakes are raised in a game of murder, magic, and deception.
── 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ── .✦
i went into this book with very high expectations, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to these expectations. after finishing this book, i felt unsatisfied and that i’d gained more questions than answers. i’d like to preface this by saying that i have not read the story of bluebeard, so please take this with a grain of salt.
── 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 ── .✦
it’s not very often that i actually dislike characters, but i fear this may be the case here. the fmc started getting on my nerves in the beginning of the book, however i still held out hope that she might have a bit of a personality flip or revealing moment. she’s very much one of those fmcs who thinks that she can do everything herself without needing others, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but too much at once is overwhelming. after that ending, i’m still having conflicting thoughts about the mmc. yes, he’s sweet and all, but i never saw any real chemistry between the two of them.
the side characters were honestly my favorites in this book, especially the two monster hunters. i loved their characters, as well as their mysterious vibe that kept me going. i know a lot of people will look at me funny for this considering that their roles aren’t as prominent, but hear me out, okay.
── 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕 ── .✦
the plot was one of the biggest aspects that was lacking for me. i felt like i could see all of the plot twists coming from a million miles away. as i mentioned earlier, i felt as if i was left with more questions than answers. most of this book is on the slower side, but it definitely speeds up at the end. on one hand, i enjoyed the change of pace, but on the other, i felt like there as a lot of information thrown at me in those last couple chapters. it’s a lot to absorb.
i feel like this book has potential to become a series or duology, but i also feel this is one of those books that would be better off as a standalone, if you know what i mean. i also recognize that this review points out a lot of the negatives of this book, but it was a solid book overall, and if somebody was thinking about reading it, i’d recommend it.
── 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 ── .✦
✦ bluebeard retelling
✧ young adult
✦ some violent content
✧ witchcraft
✦ ghosts
✧ lies and deception
✦ she’s grumpy, he’s sunshine
>> thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc - all thought are my own <3
⌯⌲ arc review
⋆˙⟡ release: november 4, 2025
♫ now playing: 𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆
── 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 ── .✦
the house saphir follows mallory fontaine, a young woman who can see ghosts. she and her sister have kept themselves afloat by running tours about bastien saphir and selling fraudulent items. until one day when armand saphir, the great grandson to bastien saphir, offers mallory a deal: help remove a ghost from his family’s estate, and he’ll pay them enough to pay the rent for awhile longer. what started out as a (somewhat) easy task escalates as the stakes are raised in a game of murder, magic, and deception.
── 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ── .✦
i went into this book with very high expectations, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to these expectations. after finishing this book, i felt unsatisfied and that i’d gained more questions than answers. i’d like to preface this by saying that i have not read the story of bluebeard, so please take this with a grain of salt.
── 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 ── .✦
it’s not very often that i actually dislike characters, but i fear this may be the case here. the fmc started getting on my nerves in the beginning of the book, however i still held out hope that she might have a bit of a personality flip or revealing moment. she’s very much one of those fmcs who thinks that she can do everything herself without needing others, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but too much at once is overwhelming. after that ending, i’m still having conflicting thoughts about the mmc. yes, he’s sweet and all, but i never saw any real chemistry between the two of them.
the side characters were honestly my favorites in this book, especially the two monster hunters. i loved their characters, as well as their mysterious vibe that kept me going. i know a lot of people will look at me funny for this considering that their roles aren’t as prominent, but hear me out, okay.
── 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕 ── .✦
the plot was one of the biggest aspects that was lacking for me. i felt like i could see all of the plot twists coming from a million miles away. as i mentioned earlier, i felt as if i was left with more questions than answers. most of this book is on the slower side, but it definitely speeds up at the end. on one hand, i enjoyed the change of pace, but on the other, i felt like there as a lot of information thrown at me in those last couple chapters. it’s a lot to absorb.
i feel like this book has potential to become a series or duology, but i also feel this is one of those books that would be better off as a standalone, if you know what i mean. i also recognize that this review points out a lot of the negatives of this book, but it was a solid book overall, and if somebody was thinking about reading it, i’d recommend it.
── 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 ── .✦
✦ bluebeard retelling
✧ young adult
✦ some violent content
✧ witchcraft
✦ ghosts
✧ lies and deception
✦ she’s grumpy, he’s sunshine
>> thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc - all thought are my own <3
October 19, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio/ Macmillan Young Listeners for an for an ALC of this book!
Here I come again shamelessly riding like Paul Revere into your feed with another 5🌟 read. And honestly I'm not the least not sorry about it.
This was an extraordinary read! Honestly at this point I think it's more than safe to say that if it's published by Macmillan it's more than likely going to be a great time. I don't think I've read an ARC/ALC from them that wasn't a 5🌟..This was another one of those reads where you go to the author's page on Goodreads and add everything they have published to your TBR. With more twists and turns than a Tilt-a-Whirl this was quite literally the definition of a page turner! The banter between the characters was excellent. I really liked that we got it from multiple angles. FMC & MMC, sister & sister, human & ghost, etc. Meyer does such an incredible job creating the atmosphere here you feel like the ghost that's haunting the neighbor's house watching everything go down in real time.
While all authors are assets to our society talented YA Authors who have a knack for retellings are a National Treasure. The talent to make learning fun and engaging is nothing short of a superpower. Books such as this make the reader actually want to learn. Im not going to lie. I can admit unfortunately I'm guilty of being a typical mayo minded American at times( a habit I've been breaking) I for some reason was always under the impression the Bluebeard was a pirate. I can't say why but I can say I was content on living with that theory until I read this book. Obviously when I realized this book was lacking a ship and sarcastic parrot, I got to googling. And I must say I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the REAL Bluebeard.
This is definitely a book I would recommend and unfortunately for my bank account, another one I will be purchasing!
🩵
Here I come again shamelessly riding like Paul Revere into your feed with another 5🌟 read. And honestly I'm not the least not sorry about it.
This was an extraordinary read! Honestly at this point I think it's more than safe to say that if it's published by Macmillan it's more than likely going to be a great time. I don't think I've read an ARC/ALC from them that wasn't a 5🌟..This was another one of those reads where you go to the author's page on Goodreads and add everything they have published to your TBR. With more twists and turns than a Tilt-a-Whirl this was quite literally the definition of a page turner! The banter between the characters was excellent. I really liked that we got it from multiple angles. FMC & MMC, sister & sister, human & ghost, etc. Meyer does such an incredible job creating the atmosphere here you feel like the ghost that's haunting the neighbor's house watching everything go down in real time.
While all authors are assets to our society talented YA Authors who have a knack for retellings are a National Treasure. The talent to make learning fun and engaging is nothing short of a superpower. Books such as this make the reader actually want to learn. Im not going to lie. I can admit unfortunately I'm guilty of being a typical mayo minded American at times( a habit I've been breaking) I for some reason was always under the impression the Bluebeard was a pirate. I can't say why but I can say I was content on living with that theory until I read this book. Obviously when I realized this book was lacking a ship and sarcastic parrot, I got to googling. And I must say I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the REAL Bluebeard.
This is definitely a book I would recommend and unfortunately for my bank account, another one I will be purchasing!
🩵
October 19, 2025
holy snooze fest the middle of this book nearly took me out. it started off so good, witches, ghosts, murder and a creepy mansion? yes girl, sign me tf up. the vibes were perfect at first and i really thought i’d found my next favorite spooky read. Mallory being a fake witch who can actually see ghosts was such a fun setup.
then somewhere along the way, the energy flatlined. all the good stuff was packed into the beginning and the rest just dragged on like a ghost refusing to move on. i kept waiting for something exciting to happen again… but no. just more talking and less haunting. fun concept, great start, painfully boring middle.
thank you Netgalley for the arc!💗
then somewhere along the way, the energy flatlined. all the good stuff was packed into the beginning and the rest just dragged on like a ghost refusing to move on. i kept waiting for something exciting to happen again… but no. just more talking and less haunting. fun concept, great start, painfully boring middle.
thank you Netgalley for the arc!💗
October 29, 2025
Mallory, our ghost seeing con artist, truly shines as the star of this book. There are hauntings, ghosts, witches, and monsters, what more could you want, right? The build up is a bit tricky, with a slower start as we get to know the cast of characters, the world, and its supernatural elements. But once it hits the halfway point, the pace picks up and moves quickly. While there aren’t any huge twists, the ending is satisfying. I especially enjoyed Mallory’s character and the witty banter between her and Armand. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.
November 5, 2025
⭐️ 4 ⭐️ Marissa Meyer just sweeps you away in this French-folklore based little fantasy where the veil between Earth and the Gods has fallen, unleashing dark magic, curses and monsters into the mortal world. The story takes on the legend of Bluebeard folktale but Meyers gives it a murderous twist and a flavorful, action packed storyline that just takes you on an adventure!
Mallory and Anais are sisters that come from a line of powerful witches but have no real powers themselves. The only real gift that Mallory has is the ability to see and communicate with ghosts, otherwise they are con artists, total frauds whose schemes never end. They basically fake it until they make it! Mallory runs illegal tours in a haunted mansion but gets caught by the owner, the handsome Count Armand Saphir. He is the great-grandson of the infamous Monsieur La Bleu who’s known for killing his wives. But the Count has a problem in need of solving. Before you know it, the sisters are pulled into a dark family mystery that is imaginative, eerie, darkly humorous and even a bit romantic!
The House of Saphir is truly a gem within the YA genre. Meyers perfectly balances creativity and characters dynamics. She gave an eerie château a fun setting where a murder mystery had perfect comedic timing with incorporation of ghosts of murdered wives.
With a fresh take on the Bluebeard retelling, Meyers turned the grim and sinister aspects of the folktale into something exciting and memorable. While the tale can be interpreted as a a cautionary tale about female obedience and oppression, in this retelling Meyers gives the female protagonist power, control and even manipulation!
Our sister characters are sassy, clever, spontaneous, especially Mallory whose wit and recklessness is the driving force behind the adventures that the story brings. She’s gloriously unapologetic and snarky, but in a very good way that gives her character an upper hand. The way the characters navigated danger and château’s riddles, delivered heart pounding action. I really enjoyed Mallory’s character because she was a representation of strength and strong will!
The romance was not one of my favorites and could be easily overlooked. Count Armand did not grab me the same way Mallory has. Aside from being described as irresistibly attractive, I wish there was more to his character than his looks, the manor and his great grandfather history. There is a reason as to why his character was somewhat obtuse & that is self explained midway through the book, but the manner of keeping him somewhat at a distance is what reduced my appreciation of their tension and charm.
Gothic comedic horror is growing on me. I think the way Meyers incorporated these elements really worked well with the themes of the book. I also want to mention how much I appreciated short chapters and the smooth transitions between them. Loved the fluidity of the story and always appreciated a plot with solid direction!
Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this eARC. Can’t wait to get into it!
Publication date: November 4, 2025
Mallory and Anais are sisters that come from a line of powerful witches but have no real powers themselves. The only real gift that Mallory has is the ability to see and communicate with ghosts, otherwise they are con artists, total frauds whose schemes never end. They basically fake it until they make it! Mallory runs illegal tours in a haunted mansion but gets caught by the owner, the handsome Count Armand Saphir. He is the great-grandson of the infamous Monsieur La Bleu who’s known for killing his wives. But the Count has a problem in need of solving. Before you know it, the sisters are pulled into a dark family mystery that is imaginative, eerie, darkly humorous and even a bit romantic!
The House of Saphir is truly a gem within the YA genre. Meyers perfectly balances creativity and characters dynamics. She gave an eerie château a fun setting where a murder mystery had perfect comedic timing with incorporation of ghosts of murdered wives.
With a fresh take on the Bluebeard retelling, Meyers turned the grim and sinister aspects of the folktale into something exciting and memorable. While the tale can be interpreted as a a cautionary tale about female obedience and oppression, in this retelling Meyers gives the female protagonist power, control and even manipulation!
Our sister characters are sassy, clever, spontaneous, especially Mallory whose wit and recklessness is the driving force behind the adventures that the story brings. She’s gloriously unapologetic and snarky, but in a very good way that gives her character an upper hand. The way the characters navigated danger and château’s riddles, delivered heart pounding action. I really enjoyed Mallory’s character because she was a representation of strength and strong will!
The romance was not one of my favorites and could be easily overlooked. Count Armand did not grab me the same way Mallory has. Aside from being described as irresistibly attractive, I wish there was more to his character than his looks, the manor and his great grandfather history. There is a reason as to why his character was somewhat obtuse & that is self explained midway through the book, but the manner of keeping him somewhat at a distance is what reduced my appreciation of their tension and charm.
Gothic comedic horror is growing on me. I think the way Meyers incorporated these elements really worked well with the themes of the book. I also want to mention how much I appreciated short chapters and the smooth transitions between them. Loved the fluidity of the story and always appreciated a plot with solid direction!
Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this eARC. Can’t wait to get into it!
Publication date: November 4, 2025
October 11, 2025
⊹₊⟡⋆ 𝟦.𝟧 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈, 𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝓊𝓅 ִ ࣪𖤐
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀɴ ᴇᴀʀᴄ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ʜᴏɴᴇꜱᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ◡̈
The House Saphir is described as a thrilling, young adult romantasy, murder mystery book. It’s supposed to be a retelling of ‘Bluebeard’ though I’m not personally familiar with the original story. This didn’t affect my reading experience whatsoever.
We’re talking witches, magic, monsters, ghosts, haunted houses. Everything I could possibly want for my autumn/spooky season tbr and more. The vibes were vibing and my mood reader heart is very happy.
🧙♀️👻🍂
We follow Mallory and her sister who are witches without any actual witch magic. That doesn’t stop them from pretending though. When they attract the attention of a Count who is having quite the ghost problem.. the sisters are invited to his haunted mansion to help eliminate the problem with their magic *cough cough*. At first, the sisters are just looking to earn a quick dollar.. they’ve gotten this far with their ruse. However, they end up becoming quite fond of the Count (Mallory especially 🤭) and his staff, and realize they may have a bigger part to play in everything that’s been going on at the House Saphir.
This is my first Marissa Meyer book and I am certain it will not be the last. I just loved her writing style! So imaginative with all the different monsters, the scenery, the haunted houses. She really brought this book to life for me and I loved its dark gothic atmosphere. It is also considered young adult, but I found it read a little more mature to me which I really appreciate being in my thirties. I have a hard time reading some ya books if they feel too ya (if that makes sense).
The characters were well written, I loved our fmcs quirky, sarcastic personality. The side characters also had great personalities. My favourite character was actually one of the ghosts- she was just too funny! Marissa had me giggling quite a few times in this book. I love how she was able to combine romance with humorous aspects and a murder mystery type concept. It was so cute, yet haunting. Funny, yet thrilling.
The plot was also done very well. There was always something happening and it kept me turning the pages. Another quick thing to note that enhanced my reading experience - it has SHORT CHAPTERS! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate shorter chapters. 🙏
The only minor thing I will say was that some of the plot twists were predictable (to me at least). This is the only reason it didn’t fully hit the five star mark for me. Considering it was advertised as a murder mystery and I didn’t find the main twist all that much of a mystery 😅
That being said.. I didn’t enjoy it any less even though I knew what was going to happen. There were still so many other plot twists that threw me for a loop and honestly it was overall just a very good time.
I would absolutely 100% recommend this book. I think for its intended purpose and audience, it’s damn near perfection! Especially if you aren’t as adept at figuring out plot twists as I am 😅
❤︎
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀɴ ᴇᴀʀᴄ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ʜᴏɴᴇꜱᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ◡̈
The House Saphir is described as a thrilling, young adult romantasy, murder mystery book. It’s supposed to be a retelling of ‘Bluebeard’ though I’m not personally familiar with the original story. This didn’t affect my reading experience whatsoever.
We’re talking witches, magic, monsters, ghosts, haunted houses. Everything I could possibly want for my autumn/spooky season tbr and more. The vibes were vibing and my mood reader heart is very happy.
🧙♀️👻🍂
We follow Mallory and her sister who are witches without any actual witch magic. That doesn’t stop them from pretending though. When they attract the attention of a Count who is having quite the ghost problem.. the sisters are invited to his haunted mansion to help eliminate the problem with their magic *cough cough*. At first, the sisters are just looking to earn a quick dollar.. they’ve gotten this far with their ruse. However, they end up becoming quite fond of the Count (Mallory especially 🤭) and his staff, and realize they may have a bigger part to play in everything that’s been going on at the House Saphir.
This is my first Marissa Meyer book and I am certain it will not be the last. I just loved her writing style! So imaginative with all the different monsters, the scenery, the haunted houses. She really brought this book to life for me and I loved its dark gothic atmosphere. It is also considered young adult, but I found it read a little more mature to me which I really appreciate being in my thirties. I have a hard time reading some ya books if they feel too ya (if that makes sense).
The characters were well written, I loved our fmcs quirky, sarcastic personality. The side characters also had great personalities. My favourite character was actually one of the ghosts- she was just too funny! Marissa had me giggling quite a few times in this book. I love how she was able to combine romance with humorous aspects and a murder mystery type concept. It was so cute, yet haunting. Funny, yet thrilling.
The plot was also done very well. There was always something happening and it kept me turning the pages. Another quick thing to note that enhanced my reading experience - it has SHORT CHAPTERS! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate shorter chapters. 🙏
The only minor thing I will say was that some of the plot twists were predictable (to me at least). This is the only reason it didn’t fully hit the five star mark for me. Considering it was advertised as a murder mystery and I didn’t find the main twist all that much of a mystery 😅
That being said.. I didn’t enjoy it any less even though I knew what was going to happen. There were still so many other plot twists that threw me for a loop and honestly it was overall just a very good time.
I would absolutely 100% recommend this book. I think for its intended purpose and audience, it’s damn near perfection! Especially if you aren’t as adept at figuring out plot twists as I am 😅
❤︎
November 14, 2025
☆☆☆☆
Thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for this ALC.
I’ve always enjoyed Marissa Meyer’s retellings, and The House Saphir was no exception. While I’ve never read a Bluebeard retelling before, this one definitely piqued my interest. Meyer does an excellent job of weaving in the dark, suspenseful elements of the original tale while creating something fresh and compelling.
One of the standout aspects of the book for me was the dynamic between the characters, particularly Mallory and Anais. Their relationship reminded me a lot of Donatella and Scarlett from Caraval—that mix of sibling tension, loyalty, and secretive intrigue. It added a layer of depth to the story that kept me hooked.
As for the love story, I wasn’t completely sold on it. It felt a bit rushed and, for me, not entirely believable. However, this didn’t take away from the overall experience. The plot was fast-paced and action-packed, and I found myself invested in the mystery and the twists that kept coming. The intrigue surrounding House Saphir kept me on my toes, and I really appreciated how she kept things exciting.
A small critique I had was with Mallory's character. At times, she felt a little naive, especially in certain situations where I thought she should have been more cautious. Still, she’s a likable protagonist, and her journey through the story was satisfying.
I’d recommend The House Saphir to fans of dark, atmospheric tales with a strong character dynamic—if you enjoyed Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (even though I ironically DNF’d it), this one might be up your alley.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for this ALC.
I’ve always enjoyed Marissa Meyer’s retellings, and The House Saphir was no exception. While I’ve never read a Bluebeard retelling before, this one definitely piqued my interest. Meyer does an excellent job of weaving in the dark, suspenseful elements of the original tale while creating something fresh and compelling.
One of the standout aspects of the book for me was the dynamic between the characters, particularly Mallory and Anais. Their relationship reminded me a lot of Donatella and Scarlett from Caraval—that mix of sibling tension, loyalty, and secretive intrigue. It added a layer of depth to the story that kept me hooked.
As for the love story, I wasn’t completely sold on it. It felt a bit rushed and, for me, not entirely believable. However, this didn’t take away from the overall experience. The plot was fast-paced and action-packed, and I found myself invested in the mystery and the twists that kept coming. The intrigue surrounding House Saphir kept me on my toes, and I really appreciated how she kept things exciting.
A small critique I had was with Mallory's character. At times, she felt a little naive, especially in certain situations where I thought she should have been more cautious. Still, she’s a likable protagonist, and her journey through the story was satisfying.
I’d recommend The House Saphir to fans of dark, atmospheric tales with a strong character dynamic—if you enjoyed Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (even though I ironically DNF’d it), this one might be up your alley.
May 12, 2025
Pre-read ~ my queen Marissa 😫
just got the eArc for this, I'm TOO HYPED🩵
5⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for this Arc in exchange for a review ~
I love Marissa Meyer’s storytelling. I’ve been hooked on her books since I first read Heartless, and she has yet to disappoint me. Each of her stories (the ones I have read at least) have been retellings of popular fairytales. The House Saphir is a retelling of ‘Bluebeard’. While I’m personally not familiar with the story of Bluebeard, I still understood and enjoyed this book to the full extent.
Mallory (fmc) was thoughtfully developed and wasn’t too overly confident and wasn’t annoyingly dumb. A perfectly balanced character who didn’t annoy me at any point - which I feel like is hard to come by
I remained hooked THE WHOLE TIME😫 The writing was super fast paced and the 7 Gods, underworld and witch magic system was super easy to understand. While the book was obviously conveying dark / horror / witchy topics, the humor and sarcasm from the characters had me giggling at some points (Triphine was the funniest😭)
Overall, a fun and action packed read 🕺🏼
The House Saphir comes out November, 4th🧞♂️🦋🌀🩵
just got the eArc for this, I'm TOO HYPED🩵
5⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for this Arc in exchange for a review ~
I love Marissa Meyer’s storytelling. I’ve been hooked on her books since I first read Heartless, and she has yet to disappoint me. Each of her stories (the ones I have read at least) have been retellings of popular fairytales. The House Saphir is a retelling of ‘Bluebeard’. While I’m personally not familiar with the story of Bluebeard, I still understood and enjoyed this book to the full extent.
Mallory (fmc) was thoughtfully developed and wasn’t too overly confident and wasn’t annoyingly dumb. A perfectly balanced character who didn’t annoy me at any point - which I feel like is hard to come by
I remained hooked THE WHOLE TIME😫 The writing was super fast paced and the 7 Gods, underworld and witch magic system was super easy to understand. While the book was obviously conveying dark / horror / witchy topics, the humor and sarcasm from the characters had me giggling at some points (Triphine was the funniest😭)
Overall, a fun and action packed read 🕺🏼
The House Saphir comes out November, 4th🧞♂️🦋🌀🩵
November 7, 2025
3.5 ☆
”What a novel concept. Maybe I���m not possessed, maybe I just like you.”
this book had such a fun concept, i really like these setting of the House Saphir. Mallory is a fraud witch, her only real “ability” being that she can see ghosts. her & her sister kind of scam visitors, hoping to gain enough money to be able to leave out on their own. the most entertaining part of this book was 100% the ghosts themselves, they each had so much personality. there’s also a murder mystery interwoven into the story with the count of the manor Monsieur Le Bleu and his great-great grandson Armand. Mallory was very headstrong, but i found her amusing for the most part and the romance with Armand was ok i guess. i liked the first half of the book more than the last half because i did feel like there was too many things being thrown all over the place.. it was very YA and a bit cheesy in parts towards the end, but i did have a good time mostly.
⇏ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for the alc, all opinions are my own.
”What a novel concept. Maybe I���m not possessed, maybe I just like you.”
this book had such a fun concept, i really like these setting of the House Saphir. Mallory is a fraud witch, her only real “ability” being that she can see ghosts. her & her sister kind of scam visitors, hoping to gain enough money to be able to leave out on their own. the most entertaining part of this book was 100% the ghosts themselves, they each had so much personality. there’s also a murder mystery interwoven into the story with the count of the manor Monsieur Le Bleu and his great-great grandson Armand. Mallory was very headstrong, but i found her amusing for the most part and the romance with Armand was ok i guess. i liked the first half of the book more than the last half because i did feel like there was too many things being thrown all over the place.. it was very YA and a bit cheesy in parts towards the end, but i did have a good time mostly.
⇏ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for the alc, all opinions are my own.
November 5, 2025
3 ⭐️
╰► 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!
❰ 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰! ❱
“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆.”
₊˚ʚ ➼➻❥𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨
╰┈➤ mallory fontaine, a clever con artist who can speak to ghosts, is hired to cleanse the haunted house saphir—where the infamous count le bleu murdered his wives. But when a new killling occurs, mallory must juggle solving the mystery, keeping up with her witch facade, and navigating her dangerous attraction to the alluring heir, armand saphir—who might be the murderer himself.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨💭
╰┈➤ in all honestly, the last 35% of this book was the most interesting. i wasn’t too invested in the beginning, but with this being my first marissa meyer book, i actually enjoyed it. this book reminded me a lot of starling house by alix e. harrow. the vibes of both books were giving fall/halloween and i feel like the fmc’s of both books are very similar too. but they also differ in their own way.
₊˚ʚ ➼➻❥𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚🔮
✶࿐”𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑮𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒚. 𝑫𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑵𝒐𝒆𝒍𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝑽𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒔-𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄, 𝒕𝒐𝒐. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉.”✶࿐
╰┈➤ mallory fontaine is a sharp and unapologetically clever character, but underneath her con artist bravado is a young woman who doesn’t believe she’s enough. mallory’s only magical ability is to see and talk to ghosts, which makes her insecure. even as she grew throughout the book and learned how to be vulnerable with someone, i think it gave her character a lot more depth.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙧🏰
✶࿐“𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅.”✶࿐
╰┈➤ armand saphir is a perfect balance of alluring and suspicious. in the beginning of the book, it is stated that he’s the heir to the infamous house saphir. he carries all the privelege of his legacy as well as the darkness. he gives off mysterious vibes while also being handsome and confident. i think his relationship with mallory peeled back the mysterious layers and revealed who he actually is. i also loved how much he was trying to court mallory (even if it was a failed attempt) because it was his first time feeling that way about a girl.
₊˚ʚ ➼➻❥𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜+𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨
╰┈➤ something enjoyable about this book was the mystery and gothic vibe. what made this an even better experience, was reading this book at night. everything felt so much more fun and i felt like i was actually experiencing these things with the characters. a major factor to my experience was the vivid details in locations, actions, and characters. marissa meyer’s writing was easy and this story was fast paced with a suspenseful plot.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣🔒
╰┈➤ i would definitely recommend this book for the fall season 🍂
°•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•
𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 👻
𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗺𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. 𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁. 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗜 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟! 𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 😝 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗰 😏
╰► 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!
❰ 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰! ❱
“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆.”
₊˚ʚ ➼➻❥𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨
╰┈➤ mallory fontaine, a clever con artist who can speak to ghosts, is hired to cleanse the haunted house saphir—where the infamous count le bleu murdered his wives. But when a new killling occurs, mallory must juggle solving the mystery, keeping up with her witch facade, and navigating her dangerous attraction to the alluring heir, armand saphir—who might be the murderer himself.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨💭
╰┈➤ in all honestly, the last 35% of this book was the most interesting. i wasn’t too invested in the beginning, but with this being my first marissa meyer book, i actually enjoyed it. this book reminded me a lot of starling house by alix e. harrow. the vibes of both books were giving fall/halloween and i feel like the fmc’s of both books are very similar too. but they also differ in their own way.
₊˚ʚ ➼➻❥𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚🔮
✶࿐”𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑮𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒚. 𝑫𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑵𝒐𝒆𝒍𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝑽𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒔-𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄, 𝒕𝒐𝒐. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉.”✶࿐
╰┈➤ mallory fontaine is a sharp and unapologetically clever character, but underneath her con artist bravado is a young woman who doesn’t believe she’s enough. mallory’s only magical ability is to see and talk to ghosts, which makes her insecure. even as she grew throughout the book and learned how to be vulnerable with someone, i think it gave her character a lot more depth.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙧🏰
✶࿐“𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅.”✶࿐
╰┈➤ armand saphir is a perfect balance of alluring and suspicious. in the beginning of the book, it is stated that he’s the heir to the infamous house saphir. he carries all the privelege of his legacy as well as the darkness. he gives off mysterious vibes while also being handsome and confident. i think his relationship with mallory peeled back the mysterious layers and revealed who he actually is. i also loved how much he was trying to court mallory (even if it was a failed attempt) because it was his first time feeling that way about a girl.
₊˚ʚ ➼➻❥𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜+𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨
╰┈➤ something enjoyable about this book was the mystery and gothic vibe. what made this an even better experience, was reading this book at night. everything felt so much more fun and i felt like i was actually experiencing these things with the characters. a major factor to my experience was the vivid details in locations, actions, and characters. marissa meyer’s writing was easy and this story was fast paced with a suspenseful plot.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣🔒
╰┈➤ i would definitely recommend this book for the fall season 🍂
°•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•° °•. ★ .•
𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 👻
𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗺𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. 𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁. 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗜 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟! 𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 😝 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗰 😏
Want to read
February 15, 2025A NEW MARISSA MEYER BOOK?! 2025 IS OUR YEAR FR ✨!
November 1, 2025
“Are you going to move in? Live here forever, with your count and your gaggle of murdered women?”
“It only sounds ridiculous when you use that tone of voice.”
“Queen of Fairytale Retellings” is definitely a fitting title for Marissa Meyer. I’ve loved everything I’ve read from her, and this was no exception. The House Saphir is an atmospheric, witchy retelling of the Bluebeard story, and it was so much fun! This was the perfect read for fall.
Mallory is a fraud, but a fraud that can see ghosts. She is hired to rid Armand Saphir’s home of his pesky, murderous grandpa’s spirit, and chaos ensues. Mallory is definitely more on the morally grey side, which made the dynamic between her and the sweet, garden-loving count all the more interesting. The middle of the book definitely slowed down a lot, but I still had a great time! I wouldn’t mind a sequel about Anais and her adventures either!
Huge thanks to Feiwel & Friends | Macmillan and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!
“It only sounds ridiculous when you use that tone of voice.”
“Queen of Fairytale Retellings” is definitely a fitting title for Marissa Meyer. I’ve loved everything I’ve read from her, and this was no exception. The House Saphir is an atmospheric, witchy retelling of the Bluebeard story, and it was so much fun! This was the perfect read for fall.
Mallory is a fraud, but a fraud that can see ghosts. She is hired to rid Armand Saphir’s home of his pesky, murderous grandpa’s spirit, and chaos ensues. Mallory is definitely more on the morally grey side, which made the dynamic between her and the sweet, garden-loving count all the more interesting. The middle of the book definitely slowed down a lot, but I still had a great time! I wouldn’t mind a sequel about Anais and her adventures either!
Huge thanks to Feiwel & Friends | Macmillan and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!
December 4, 2025
All I needed to hear was Marissa Meyer fairy tale retelling and I’m already making space next to her other books on my shelf.
December 18, 2025
¡NO LEAS ESTA RESEÑA, SI LO HACES, NECESITARÁS DEVORAR ESTE LIBRO🔥!
Casas encantadas, ruidos extraños, susurros a medianoche, monstruos y un romance embriagador!
Todo esto aderezado con un puñado de espectros sanguinarios, fantasmas y un toque de humor.
El ambiente de esta historia es lóbrego e inquietante; oscuro y palpitante🔥
Y, con cada vuelta de página, la historia se vuelve más adictiva y….
!Shhhh!, no mires atrás y, sobretodo, no dejes que él te atrape, porque si lo hace…😱
San…gre, sótanos escalofriantes, gritos y…
¡Este retelling de Barbazul, te atrapará en su red y no te dejará ir hasta que cierres el libro!
Casas encantadas, ruidos extraños, susurros a medianoche, monstruos y un romance embriagador!
Todo esto aderezado con un puñado de espectros sanguinarios, fantasmas y un toque de humor.
El ambiente de esta historia es lóbrego e inquietante; oscuro y palpitante🔥
Y, con cada vuelta de página, la historia se vuelve más adictiva y….
!Shhhh!, no mires atrás y, sobretodo, no dejes que él te atrape, porque si lo hace…😱
San…gre, sótanos escalofriantes, gritos y…
¡Este retelling de Barbazul, te atrapará en su red y no te dejará ir hasta que cierres el libro!
May 23, 2025
Part fantasy, part romance, part ghost story, part adventure, the world building is quick in this novel. As a far of Marissa Meyer’s former work, I was excited to see a new fantasy that is a retelling of blue beard. Mallory and Anais are sisters who do tours of The House Saphir, who are kind of con artists who sell unsuspecting people phony jewelry and non authentic “authentic” artifacts. Mallory can see dead people; that is, she is constantly in communication with the slain wives of Bastian Saphir.
One day his great great grandson and only heir, Armand, comes for a tour and offers Mallory the chance of a lifetime; one that will help Mallory and Anais have a shot at a better life.
There are twists here, lots of fun magical creatures, and formerly alive friends and enemies alike. I’m not sure if this is a YA shelved book but I think it could be, it reminds me of the later Percy Jackson series or The Hunger Games level of fantasy elements. Very descriptive, good and nuanced character development and sharp dialogue. This was a heroines journey for the ages.
Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel and friends for the ARC. Book to be published Nov 3, 2025.
One day his great great grandson and only heir, Armand, comes for a tour and offers Mallory the chance of a lifetime; one that will help Mallory and Anais have a shot at a better life.
There are twists here, lots of fun magical creatures, and formerly alive friends and enemies alike. I’m not sure if this is a YA shelved book but I think it could be, it reminds me of the later Percy Jackson series or The Hunger Games level of fantasy elements. Very descriptive, good and nuanced character development and sharp dialogue. This was a heroines journey for the ages.
Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel and friends for the ARC. Book to be published Nov 3, 2025.
November 6, 2025
So this started out strong but then lost steam and never quite got it back.
October 27, 2025
Thank you so much Bolinda Audio for the audiobook!
"What a novel concept. Maybe I'm not possessed. Maybe I just like you."
- French folklore creatures
- Crumbling manor
- Ghost sightings
- Con artist
- Monster hunters
What I liked:
- There were a lot of amazing characters. Most importantly I really liked the love interest! He’s so adorably oblivious sometimes and often a bit socially awkward. I feel like he complements the protagonist very well. The side characters were great too! The two monster hunters, the ghosts (especially the overdramatic Triphine) and the protagonist’s more level-headed sister.
- The atmosphere was amazing! A gothic manor, a murderer on the loose and the ghosts of murdered wives lingering around.
- The narration was very pleasant to listen to and I especially enjoyed the voices of the ghosts.
What I didn’t like:
- The protagonist felt more mature at the beginning of the book. Throughout the story she begins to sometimes acts childish and stubborn when backed into a corner, which really annoyed me.
- I felt the narrator occasionally overdid it with the dramatic tone in my opinion.
Narration: 4/5
Writing style: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Story & Plot: 4/5
Vibes: 5/5
"What a novel concept. Maybe I'm not possessed. Maybe I just like you."
- French folklore creatures
- Crumbling manor
- Ghost sightings
- Con artist
- Monster hunters
What I liked:
- There were a lot of amazing characters. Most importantly I really liked the love interest! He’s so adorably oblivious sometimes and often a bit socially awkward. I feel like he complements the protagonist very well. The side characters were great too! The two monster hunters, the ghosts (especially the overdramatic Triphine) and the protagonist’s more level-headed sister.
- The atmosphere was amazing! A gothic manor, a murderer on the loose and the ghosts of murdered wives lingering around.
- The narration was very pleasant to listen to and I especially enjoyed the voices of the ghosts.
What I didn’t like:
- The protagonist felt more mature at the beginning of the book. Throughout the story she begins to sometimes acts childish and stubborn when backed into a corner, which really annoyed me.
- I felt the narrator occasionally overdid it with the dramatic tone in my opinion.
Narration: 4/5
Writing style: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Story & Plot: 4/5
Vibes: 5/5
October 28, 2025
❝ When this is over, I don’t want you to leave. ❞
⊹₊⟡⋆ The House Saphir 💍
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ~ 4.5
spoiler-free review!
⟡ preread ⟡
⠀⠀⠀ ⌕ Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review! Marissa’s books never disappoint! Here’s the link to my review on NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.com/book/628655...
✑ overview
⠀⠀⠀ ↳ Mallory Fontaine, who is desperate to earn money, has been invited to the infamous Saphir estate to dispel the mansion of the sinister haunting ghost, Monsieur Le Blue. But what she thinks is a simple deal with the current count of the property, Armand, may turn out to be more complex than she had hoped.
features
⠀⠀⠀ ∘ mysterious haunted mansion
⠀⠀⠀ ♡ grumpy x sunshine
⠀⠀⠀ ∘ suspenseful standalone
⠀⠀⠀ ♡ ghosts & betrayal
⠀⠀⠀ ∘ fantasy romance
⠀⠀⠀ ♡ Bluebeard tale retelling
✶ my thoughts
⠀⠀⠀ ❥ This book was such a thrilling adventure! The suspenseful plot, detailed characters, and amazingly imaginative setting made it feel so realistic and layered.
⠀⠀⠀ ❥ I loved the mystery, gothic, and Halloween vibes of the story, the scenes really stood out as being eerie and mysterious, especially the haunted Le Bleu estate. Every part was vividly detailed, and the writing helped the story come to life with real sensations. The characters and ghosts were also imaginative and had great depth, especially the wives of Monsieur Le Bleu.
❖ characters
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Mallory Fontaine • ⠀ “Don’t be ridiculous. We both know I’m not that nice.” ⠀ ~~ Mallory, being a thief and pretending to be a witch, had great layers and detail as a character. She was shown as having questionable morals while working up to doing the right thing. Her ancestry and backstory as a child and her mother were also a great touch. I enjoyed Mallory’s personality, and loved her interactions with the other characters, mainly Armand and Gabrielle.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Armand Saphir • ⠀ “I’ve spent every moment since we met searching for ways to see you, to talk to you. Wondering what might make you want to stay after the job was finished. Trying to convey how much I enjoy your company.” ⠀ ~~ I loved his personality, and his situation and character development was very unique. The way he treated Mallory and their interactions together felt intimate, and they grew even stronger after the climax, especially after he helps her on the roof of the estate. Also, his love for plants and herbs was so lovable.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Monsieur Le Bleu ~~ In the book, you could really feel the presence of his haunting spirit, since the whole estate was filled with his essence. His persistence to coming back to his estate as a sorcerer made the book tense and challenging for the characters.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Anaïs Fontaine • ⠀ “You and I brought this monster back. We must find a way to end this.” ⠀ ~~ Her backstory of trying to rid herself of her “impure” god-gift was a great way of setting up the story. She seemed like a good sister to Mallory, helping her even when she was wary of her own abilities.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Fitcher & Constantino ~~ They were great monster-hunting characters that balanced out the serene tone of the rest of the story. They were comical together, and helped the plot progress.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Gabrielle Savoy ~~ She was an in-depth character, I love the way that she was introduced and how she played a part in helping Mallory and Anaïs. I liked her backstory as a wife of Le Bleu, and how she tied into the ending.
‧₊˚ ⚘݄ “. . . you are the most clever, most brilliant, most frustrating person I’ve ever met.” ~ Armand
◗ plot
⠀⠀⠀ ✦ The storyline was fast-paced and full of twists, which made for an entertaining read. The climax was also so tense, it kept me on edge the whole time, and the ending wrapped up perfectly.
⠀⠀⠀ ✦ I absolutely love Marissa Meyer’s writing style, she has a perfect way of combining such a detailed plot and conveying all the elements of characters and emotions!
⠀⠀⠀ ✦ The format and writing of the chapters was very engaging, including how some of the chapters were set up in the middle of one of Mallory’s plans, so that you didn’t know what was about to happen.
‧₊˚ ✶ “If I am a monster, then why did you come back?” ~ Armand
⭑ worldbuilding
⠀⠀⠀ ↠ I appreciated the unique creatures and lore, including the Seven gods that were apart of the story, but I would have loved more backstory and detail on them.
⠀⠀⠀ ↠ The descriptions of the scenes felt so real, as if you were there and apart of the story, which I adored. The small details also added up, and I particularly enjoyed the creatures that were featured.
‧₊˚ ⚘݄ “She wanted to spend afternoons by his side, foraging in the trees and grinding mysterious herbs into oblivion so he could transform them into tinctures or ointments or whatever he did all day. She wanted to spend evenings reading about unsolved murders by the fire and knowing that she could tell him all the goriest details and he wouldn’t be appalled by her fascination.”
✶ favorite parts
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ Armand catching Mallory after they fall from the building
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ Armand showing Mallory his greenhouse and naming the plants ✶
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ The encounter with the fiery cheval mallet horse
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ Gabrielle Savoy casting the spell to trap Le Bleu’s spirit in the candle
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ Armand helping Mallory down the roof of the estate after the fire
⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀
‧₊˚ ✶ “I do love how you always sound so confident, even when I suspect you have no idea what you’re doing.” ~ Armand to Mallory
➶ my recommendation
⤷ ⟡ age rating: 13+
⤷ ⟡ content warnings:
⠀⠀⠀— language ~ 0/10
⠀⠀⠀— romance ~ 3/10 - kissing
⠀⠀⠀— violence ~ 7/10 - murder, torture, blood, ghosts with prolonged injuries, monster hunting
⠀⠀⠀— other ~ manipulative marriages
⤷ ⟡ For fans of Wednesday and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
⤷ ⟡ Best for readers who love slow-burn romance with mystery and dark Halloween vibes
☾ final verdict:
I would definitely recommend this tension-laced mysterious romance story for anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and detailed book. I’ll definitely be adding this one to my bookshelf once it releases!
‧₊˚ ⚘݄ “. . . when this is over, I don’t want you to leave.” ~ Armand
The House Saphir — 2025
~ ∘₊ ✦
⊹₊⟡⋆ The House Saphir 💍
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ~ 4.5
spoiler-free review!
⟡ preread ⟡
⠀⠀⠀ ⌕ Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review! Marissa’s books never disappoint! Here’s the link to my review on NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.com/book/628655...
✑ overview
⠀⠀⠀ ↳ Mallory Fontaine, who is desperate to earn money, has been invited to the infamous Saphir estate to dispel the mansion of the sinister haunting ghost, Monsieur Le Blue. But what she thinks is a simple deal with the current count of the property, Armand, may turn out to be more complex than she had hoped.
features
⠀⠀⠀ ∘ mysterious haunted mansion
⠀⠀⠀ ♡ grumpy x sunshine
⠀⠀⠀ ∘ suspenseful standalone
⠀⠀⠀ ♡ ghosts & betrayal
⠀⠀⠀ ∘ fantasy romance
⠀⠀⠀ ♡ Bluebeard tale retelling
✶ my thoughts
⠀⠀⠀ ❥ This book was such a thrilling adventure! The suspenseful plot, detailed characters, and amazingly imaginative setting made it feel so realistic and layered.
⠀⠀⠀ ❥ I loved the mystery, gothic, and Halloween vibes of the story, the scenes really stood out as being eerie and mysterious, especially the haunted Le Bleu estate. Every part was vividly detailed, and the writing helped the story come to life with real sensations. The characters and ghosts were also imaginative and had great depth, especially the wives of Monsieur Le Bleu.
❖ characters
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Mallory Fontaine • ⠀ “Don’t be ridiculous. We both know I’m not that nice.” ⠀ ~~ Mallory, being a thief and pretending to be a witch, had great layers and detail as a character. She was shown as having questionable morals while working up to doing the right thing. Her ancestry and backstory as a child and her mother were also a great touch. I enjoyed Mallory’s personality, and loved her interactions with the other characters, mainly Armand and Gabrielle.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Armand Saphir • ⠀ “I’ve spent every moment since we met searching for ways to see you, to talk to you. Wondering what might make you want to stay after the job was finished. Trying to convey how much I enjoy your company.” ⠀ ~~ I loved his personality, and his situation and character development was very unique. The way he treated Mallory and their interactions together felt intimate, and they grew even stronger after the climax, especially after he helps her on the roof of the estate. Also, his love for plants and herbs was so lovable.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Monsieur Le Bleu ~~ In the book, you could really feel the presence of his haunting spirit, since the whole estate was filled with his essence. His persistence to coming back to his estate as a sorcerer made the book tense and challenging for the characters.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Anaïs Fontaine • ⠀ “You and I brought this monster back. We must find a way to end this.” ⠀ ~~ Her backstory of trying to rid herself of her “impure” god-gift was a great way of setting up the story. She seemed like a good sister to Mallory, helping her even when she was wary of her own abilities.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Fitcher & Constantino ~~ They were great monster-hunting characters that balanced out the serene tone of the rest of the story. They were comical together, and helped the plot progress.
⠀⠀⠀ ➵ Gabrielle Savoy ~~ She was an in-depth character, I love the way that she was introduced and how she played a part in helping Mallory and Anaïs. I liked her backstory as a wife of Le Bleu, and how she tied into the ending.
‧₊˚ ⚘݄ “. . . you are the most clever, most brilliant, most frustrating person I’ve ever met.” ~ Armand
◗ plot
⠀⠀⠀ ✦ The storyline was fast-paced and full of twists, which made for an entertaining read. The climax was also so tense, it kept me on edge the whole time, and the ending wrapped up perfectly.
⠀⠀⠀ ✦ I absolutely love Marissa Meyer’s writing style, she has a perfect way of combining such a detailed plot and conveying all the elements of characters and emotions!
⠀⠀⠀ ✦ The format and writing of the chapters was very engaging, including how some of the chapters were set up in the middle of one of Mallory’s plans, so that you didn’t know what was about to happen.
‧₊˚ ✶ “If I am a monster, then why did you come back?” ~ Armand
⭑ worldbuilding
⠀⠀⠀ ↠ I appreciated the unique creatures and lore, including the Seven gods that were apart of the story, but I would have loved more backstory and detail on them.
⠀⠀⠀ ↠ The descriptions of the scenes felt so real, as if you were there and apart of the story, which I adored. The small details also added up, and I particularly enjoyed the creatures that were featured.
‧₊˚ ⚘݄ “She wanted to spend afternoons by his side, foraging in the trees and grinding mysterious herbs into oblivion so he could transform them into tinctures or ointments or whatever he did all day. She wanted to spend evenings reading about unsolved murders by the fire and knowing that she could tell him all the goriest details and he wouldn’t be appalled by her fascination.”
✶ favorite parts
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ Armand catching Mallory after they fall from the building
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ Armand showing Mallory his greenhouse and naming the plants ✶
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ The encounter with the fiery cheval mallet horse
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ Gabrielle Savoy casting the spell to trap Le Bleu’s spirit in the candle
⠀⠀⠀ ⊹ Armand helping Mallory down the roof of the estate after the fire
⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀
‧₊˚ ✶ “I do love how you always sound so confident, even when I suspect you have no idea what you’re doing.” ~ Armand to Mallory
➶ my recommendation
⤷ ⟡ age rating: 13+
⤷ ⟡ content warnings:
⠀⠀⠀— language ~ 0/10
⠀⠀⠀— romance ~ 3/10 - kissing
⠀⠀⠀— violence ~ 7/10 - murder, torture, blood, ghosts with prolonged injuries, monster hunting
⠀⠀⠀— other ~ manipulative marriages
⤷ ⟡ For fans of Wednesday and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
⤷ ⟡ Best for readers who love slow-burn romance with mystery and dark Halloween vibes
☾ final verdict:
I would definitely recommend this tension-laced mysterious romance story for anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and detailed book. I’ll definitely be adding this one to my bookshelf once it releases!
‧₊˚ ⚘݄ “. . . when this is over, I don’t want you to leave.” ~ Armand
The House Saphir — 2025
~ ∘₊ ✦
October 27, 2025
3.5 / 5 Stars
This was a fun, easy YA novel that had the whole gamut of magical things: witches, sorcerers, magic, monsters, blood sacrifices, ghosts, the whole shebang. Was it earth shatter? For me, no. Did it drag at times? A bit. Were most of the twists obvious? Sure. And yet, it was still fun.
A quick synopsis: Mallory is a grifter (complimentary). She doesn’t have the same powerful witchy magic that her mother had but she can see ghosts, so Mallory uses it to her advantage by giving tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place. As a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir, the infamous murderer who killed all three of his wives, Mallory is exceptionally surprised to meet Armand, his great-great grandson. Armand needs Mallory and her sister to rid his home of Count Bastien’s evil ghost. Can Mallory actually do this? Absolutely not, but there is a big pay day so Mallory is going to fake it until she makes it. And it doesn’t hurt that Armand is handsome and kind. Throw in a magical trope, a mystery, and some crazy antics, and you have “The House Saphir.”
You will probably like this book if you like:
🔮 YA paranormal/fantasy with ghosts, witches, monsters, magic
🔮 Murder mystery with twists
🔮 Hyper-independent FMC
🔮 Sweet MMC who falls first
🔮 Strong relationship between sisters
🔮 Found family
I enjoyed the mix of silliness and seriousness. Mallory was constantly trying to steal stuff or show that she was doing something magical to get rid of the ghost (bless her for her single minded focus on getting that coin) which led to some pretty funny situations. It helped lighten the mood of the more serious stuff like the murders (I am having a bit of an existential crisis with books that lighten the mood too much when they discuss death and murder. Like to what end? But that is a thought for another time). The magic was fun but I truly didn’t understand what the monsters added to the story. It felt like there was enough going on with the ghosts and magic without the monsters needing to be there but maybe I am just a killjoy.
I also really appreciated that all of the murdered wives came back as ghosts and we got to learn about them and they got personalities. They were still side characters but it helped humanize them so they weren’t just victims of this horrible thing that happened to them.
I love a hyper-independent female character that learns to trust others though Mallory occasionally bordered on being too stubborn. But I loved her anyway. Armand was a sweet, kind, handsome weirdo who loves plants. The romance is a subplot but it had enough tension and earnestness that it felt satisfying.
This is technically an extension of the tale of Bluebeard but in the infamous words of Keke Palmer, “I don't know who this man is… sorry to this man.” Beyond knowing that Bluebeard had a blue beard (don’t ask me how he got it or why)… I don’t know a single thing about him, but I don’t think you have to in order to enjoy this book. It probably makes for a richer interpretation of the story, but you can be clueless like me and still have a fun time.
Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: November 4, 2025
_____________________
Pre-Read Thoughts:
✔️ Witches
✔️ Ghosts
✔️ Monsters
✔️ Murder
✔️ Romance
This was a fun, easy YA novel that had the whole gamut of magical things: witches, sorcerers, magic, monsters, blood sacrifices, ghosts, the whole shebang. Was it earth shatter? For me, no. Did it drag at times? A bit. Were most of the twists obvious? Sure. And yet, it was still fun.
A quick synopsis: Mallory is a grifter (complimentary). She doesn’t have the same powerful witchy magic that her mother had but she can see ghosts, so Mallory uses it to her advantage by giving tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place. As a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir, the infamous murderer who killed all three of his wives, Mallory is exceptionally surprised to meet Armand, his great-great grandson. Armand needs Mallory and her sister to rid his home of Count Bastien’s evil ghost. Can Mallory actually do this? Absolutely not, but there is a big pay day so Mallory is going to fake it until she makes it. And it doesn’t hurt that Armand is handsome and kind. Throw in a magical trope, a mystery, and some crazy antics, and you have “The House Saphir.”
You will probably like this book if you like:
🔮 YA paranormal/fantasy with ghosts, witches, monsters, magic
🔮 Murder mystery with twists
🔮 Hyper-independent FMC
🔮 Sweet MMC who falls first
🔮 Strong relationship between sisters
🔮 Found family
I enjoyed the mix of silliness and seriousness. Mallory was constantly trying to steal stuff or show that she was doing something magical to get rid of the ghost (bless her for her single minded focus on getting that coin) which led to some pretty funny situations. It helped lighten the mood of the more serious stuff like the murders (I am having a bit of an existential crisis with books that lighten the mood too much when they discuss death and murder. Like to what end? But that is a thought for another time). The magic was fun but I truly didn’t understand what the monsters added to the story. It felt like there was enough going on with the ghosts and magic without the monsters needing to be there but maybe I am just a killjoy.
I also really appreciated that all of the murdered wives came back as ghosts and we got to learn about them and they got personalities. They were still side characters but it helped humanize them so they weren’t just victims of this horrible thing that happened to them.
I love a hyper-independent female character that learns to trust others though Mallory occasionally bordered on being too stubborn. But I loved her anyway. Armand was a sweet, kind, handsome weirdo who loves plants. The romance is a subplot but it had enough tension and earnestness that it felt satisfying.
This is technically an extension of the tale of Bluebeard but in the infamous words of Keke Palmer, “I don't know who this man is… sorry to this man.” Beyond knowing that Bluebeard had a blue beard (don’t ask me how he got it or why)… I don’t know a single thing about him, but I don’t think you have to in order to enjoy this book. It probably makes for a richer interpretation of the story, but you can be clueless like me and still have a fun time.
Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: November 4, 2025
_____________________
Pre-Read Thoughts:
✔️ Witches
✔️ Ghosts
✔️ Monsters
✔️ Murder
✔️ Romance
October 24, 2025
This unique Bluebeard retelling was darkly MAGICAL.
I don’t get spooked by books, yet somehow this Young Adult book had me switching on my phone light at 2am.
Mallory Fontaine is a tour guide for the infamous mansion where the first of Bastien Saphir’s murders took place. Her sister is a seer and can heal ailments. The only thing is, they’re both frauds. Neither have the magic their witchy ancestors do. Mallory can see the ghost of the wife who haunts the mansion, but she’s more whiny than scary or helpful.
When Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate, Armand, comes seeking rhe sisters’ help to get rid of Bastien’s returned haunting, Mallory must convince charming (and most importantly rich, Armand that she can indeed solve his dangerous haunting.
I always love Meyer’s main characters. Quirky, odd, sassy. The humour in this is spectacularly fun. The bond between the sisters had me giggling and Armand and Mallory’s blustering and blooming romance is sweet as much as it is awkward.
Not to mention, they both must balance desire and trust with disbelief and distrust.
The ghosts of the wives were exactly what I wanted from a campy haunting story (that does get darker). If you’re aware of Six the Musical, there’s three of them, and they gave me those vibes.
Mallory is what made me fall in love with this story though. Spunky and sarcastic and insecure and confident all at once.
I did think the climax was too much all at once, but it did play into the tropes you would expect a haunting to. So, yes, the reveals and twists were obvious to me, but I’m also a seasoned adult reader.
The audiobook was incredible. The reason I was up at 2am? I put my headphones in to brush my teeth and then my phone went into low battery mode. I discovered a lot of time had passed, whoops… I did not spend over an hour brushing my teeth, don’t worry.
Arc gifted by publisher.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
I don’t get spooked by books, yet somehow this Young Adult book had me switching on my phone light at 2am.
Mallory Fontaine is a tour guide for the infamous mansion where the first of Bastien Saphir’s murders took place. Her sister is a seer and can heal ailments. The only thing is, they’re both frauds. Neither have the magic their witchy ancestors do. Mallory can see the ghost of the wife who haunts the mansion, but she’s more whiny than scary or helpful.
When Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate, Armand, comes seeking rhe sisters’ help to get rid of Bastien’s returned haunting, Mallory must convince charming (and most importantly rich, Armand that she can indeed solve his dangerous haunting.
I always love Meyer’s main characters. Quirky, odd, sassy. The humour in this is spectacularly fun. The bond between the sisters had me giggling and Armand and Mallory’s blustering and blooming romance is sweet as much as it is awkward.
Not to mention, they both must balance desire and trust with disbelief and distrust.
The ghosts of the wives were exactly what I wanted from a campy haunting story (that does get darker). If you’re aware of Six the Musical, there’s three of them, and they gave me those vibes.
Mallory is what made me fall in love with this story though. Spunky and sarcastic and insecure and confident all at once.
I did think the climax was too much all at once, but it did play into the tropes you would expect a haunting to. So, yes, the reveals and twists were obvious to me, but I’m also a seasoned adult reader.
The audiobook was incredible. The reason I was up at 2am? I put my headphones in to brush my teeth and then my phone went into low battery mode. I discovered a lot of time had passed, whoops… I did not spend over an hour brushing my teeth, don’t worry.
Arc gifted by publisher.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
November 11, 2025
the best way I can describe this book is the conjuring but make it YA with magic and a dash of romance.
the house saphir follows our main character, mallory fontaine, who’s spent years with her sister running tours of a haunted estate and selling fraudulent items to stay afloat. during one of those tours, armand saphir, the great grandson to bastien saphir, witnesses her using “magic” and offers her a deal: in exchange for an exorbitant amount of money, she will help him rid of ghosts at his family’s estate. only problem? mallory doesn’t actually possess any magic.
but mallory cannot say no to that kind of money and the longer mallory stays at the estate, the weirder and scarier things get.
mallory is the definition of a headstrong teenager. she refuses to accept help from anyone and almost always wants to be correct. but with the tragic passing of her mother and the stressful financial situation her sister and her are in, I don’t fault her for behaving the way she does. even though personally I was not like this as a teenager and don’t befriend people like this, I can appreciate how mallory’s past shapes her actions and defensive nature. but mallory’s headstrong personality was exactly what this haunted mansion needed and her own stubbornness to help despite her powerlessness made me want to root for her all the more. and her humor was top tier - she had me laughing every other time she opened her mouth and made such funny underhanded comments!
the romance was so adorable and I loved how shy and flustered armand got anytime mallory didn’t give him the time of day or made blunt statements. I loved their dynamic and watching them grow close was heartwarming!
overall, I had such a fun time with the house saphir and marissa meyer is truly the queen of retellings! I love how she weaves the original source material into her stories, making them feel nostalgic but also something completely different.
thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Feiwel & Friends, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
the house saphir follows our main character, mallory fontaine, who’s spent years with her sister running tours of a haunted estate and selling fraudulent items to stay afloat. during one of those tours, armand saphir, the great grandson to bastien saphir, witnesses her using “magic” and offers her a deal: in exchange for an exorbitant amount of money, she will help him rid of ghosts at his family’s estate. only problem? mallory doesn’t actually possess any magic.
but mallory cannot say no to that kind of money and the longer mallory stays at the estate, the weirder and scarier things get.
mallory is the definition of a headstrong teenager. she refuses to accept help from anyone and almost always wants to be correct. but with the tragic passing of her mother and the stressful financial situation her sister and her are in, I don’t fault her for behaving the way she does. even though personally I was not like this as a teenager and don’t befriend people like this, I can appreciate how mallory’s past shapes her actions and defensive nature. but mallory’s headstrong personality was exactly what this haunted mansion needed and her own stubbornness to help despite her powerlessness made me want to root for her all the more. and her humor was top tier - she had me laughing every other time she opened her mouth and made such funny underhanded comments!
the romance was so adorable and I loved how shy and flustered armand got anytime mallory didn’t give him the time of day or made blunt statements. I loved their dynamic and watching them grow close was heartwarming!
overall, I had such a fun time with the house saphir and marissa meyer is truly the queen of retellings! I love how she weaves the original source material into her stories, making them feel nostalgic but also something completely different.
thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Feiwel & Friends, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2025
4.0 ★— In the spirit of the current fall season, this book’s heroine, Mallory Fontaine, runs an illegal haunted mansion tour and pretends to be a powerful witch when she finds herself face-to-face with the mansion’s owner, Count Armand Saphir. Before she knows it, she’s pulled into the dark family mystery surrounding his infamous wife-killing ancestor.
Marissa Meyer has proven time and time again that she’s a master at adapting fairytale retellings in her own unique way, so I knew this Bluebeard-inspired story wouldn’t disappoint, and it really didn’t!
Mallory is a female protagonist after my own heart: slightly abrasive, untrusting, but clever and resourceful, with a real knack for survival. She and her sister Anaïs have been scraping by in any way they can since their mother’s death, running scams that include pretending to see the future, selling forged relics and jewelry, and giving the aforementioned tours of the Saphir mansion.
Their sisterly bond was one of the highlights of the book for me. I loved how deeply loyal they were to each other and how that loyalty was never in doubt.
Mallory’s love interest, Armand, is an absolute sweetheart. He’s the total opposite of his fearsome ancestor, and watching his crush on Mallory grow throughout the story was just so charming. Their dynamic gave off strong golden retriever/black cat vibes, which I loved, with Mallory being the more skeptical and guarded of the two.
The romance takes a backseat to the central mystery, which slowly unravels as the story progresses. My only real frustration was how obvious certain conclusions were. It felt a bit tedious at times to watch the characters piece things together when the answers were practically spelled out for the reader.
That said, my overall experience was still delightful! The book balances a fun, lighthearted tone with murder mystery elements and just enough darkness to give the story weight. Meyer managed to keep things spooky and atmospheric without ever making it heavy and I found it to be an entertaining read with a cute romance and a lively, memorable cast of side characters.
🎧Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
The female narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Each character’s voice felt distinct, and she made the listening experience even more engaging.
_______________
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the ARC, as well as Macmillan Audio for the ALC, both in exchange for an honest review.
Marissa Meyer has proven time and time again that she’s a master at adapting fairytale retellings in her own unique way, so I knew this Bluebeard-inspired story wouldn’t disappoint, and it really didn’t!
Mallory is a female protagonist after my own heart: slightly abrasive, untrusting, but clever and resourceful, with a real knack for survival. She and her sister Anaïs have been scraping by in any way they can since their mother’s death, running scams that include pretending to see the future, selling forged relics and jewelry, and giving the aforementioned tours of the Saphir mansion.
Their sisterly bond was one of the highlights of the book for me. I loved how deeply loyal they were to each other and how that loyalty was never in doubt.
Mallory’s love interest, Armand, is an absolute sweetheart. He’s the total opposite of his fearsome ancestor, and watching his crush on Mallory grow throughout the story was just so charming. Their dynamic gave off strong golden retriever/black cat vibes, which I loved, with Mallory being the more skeptical and guarded of the two.
The romance takes a backseat to the central mystery, which slowly unravels as the story progresses. My only real frustration was how obvious certain conclusions were. It felt a bit tedious at times to watch the characters piece things together when the answers were practically spelled out for the reader.
That said, my overall experience was still delightful! The book balances a fun, lighthearted tone with murder mystery elements and just enough darkness to give the story weight. Meyer managed to keep things spooky and atmospheric without ever making it heavy and I found it to be an entertaining read with a cute romance and a lively, memorable cast of side characters.
🎧Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
The female narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Each character’s voice felt distinct, and she made the listening experience even more engaging.
_______________
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the ARC, as well as Macmillan Audio for the ALC, both in exchange for an honest review.
Read
October 31, 2025Bluebeard mythology gets an update with The House Saphir, set decades after his demise.
Mallory Fontaine conducts illegal tours of an abandoned estate linked to the story of Le Bleu, scamming people out of money. But it's true she can speak to ghosts, and one of Le Bleu's wives haunts the house. When the heir to House Saphir, Le Bleu's grandson, tracks her down to banish his grandfather's ghost for good, she gets in over her head and finds herself attracted to the charming young man...
Both dark and humorous, this retells the legend in a fresh way, adding in elements of witchcraft and monsters from French mythology. It's fun and creepy, a great pick for fall, and hopefully a good introduction for teens to the Bluebeard legend and gateway to other excellent retellings. The audio narration is great. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Mallory Fontaine conducts illegal tours of an abandoned estate linked to the story of Le Bleu, scamming people out of money. But it's true she can speak to ghosts, and one of Le Bleu's wives haunts the house. When the heir to House Saphir, Le Bleu's grandson, tracks her down to banish his grandfather's ghost for good, she gets in over her head and finds herself attracted to the charming young man...
Both dark and humorous, this retells the legend in a fresh way, adding in elements of witchcraft and monsters from French mythology. It's fun and creepy, a great pick for fall, and hopefully a good introduction for teens to the Bluebeard legend and gateway to other excellent retellings. The audio narration is great. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
December 3, 2025
“ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ’s ʀᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴs ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ, ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀs ᴏʀ ᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴇᴀʀᴇsᴛ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴs.”
₊˚ 👻 ♱‧₊˚. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒓₊˚🕯️♱‧₊˚.
🕯️ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs:
⤷ Mallory. She’s a little bit of a magical scammer. Mallory is a fun character to read about: quick witted, slightly reluctant to do something unless it benefits her, and filled with ulterior motives. I love characters like her so much - Meyer did a wonderful job creating Mallory while not making her annoying.
⤷ Armand. He’s a little bit of a flat character - with seemingly no personality, but to compliment Mallory. Armand has a very unique situation and I guess that he’s clever in his own way. I do like how much he loves Mallory though …
👻 ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:
I will read (almost) everything that Marissa Meyer has read. This contains the same charm as all of her YA Retellings, with a slightly darker atmosphere.
Speaking of the atmosphere, it was wonderfully dark. I started to feel a little bit creeped out towards the middle of the book - I was super immersed. It was gothic and just the right amount of uncomfortable to make me squirm, but not truly terrified. Also, any book set in like an old manor house will immediately catch my attention.
The pacing was also great. It was quick and kept me engaged for almost the entirety of the book. (I was able to finish this in one sitting.) The climax ended up falling a little bit short for me, I was almost expecting something more to happen. (hmm Heartless??)
🕯️ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:
⤷ 4.75 stars (rounded up)
👻 sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs:
⤷ House of Salt and Sorrows (Erin A Craig)
⤷ Sorcery of Thornes (Margaret Rogerson)
PS: i learned from reading other reviews that this is set in the same world as the Gilded Duology (which i started but wouldn’t finish), so if u liked that one - this might be even more enjoyable!
₊˚ 👻 ♱‧₊˚. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒓₊˚🕯️♱‧₊˚.
🕯️ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs:
⤷ Mallory. She’s a little bit of a magical scammer. Mallory is a fun character to read about: quick witted, slightly reluctant to do something unless it benefits her, and filled with ulterior motives. I love characters like her so much - Meyer did a wonderful job creating Mallory while not making her annoying.
⤷ Armand. He’s a little bit of a flat character - with seemingly no personality, but to compliment Mallory. Armand has a very unique situation and I guess that he’s clever in his own way. I do like how much he loves Mallory though …
👻 ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:
I will read (almost) everything that Marissa Meyer has read. This contains the same charm as all of her YA Retellings, with a slightly darker atmosphere.
Speaking of the atmosphere, it was wonderfully dark. I started to feel a little bit creeped out towards the middle of the book - I was super immersed. It was gothic and just the right amount of uncomfortable to make me squirm, but not truly terrified. Also, any book set in like an old manor house will immediately catch my attention.
The pacing was also great. It was quick and kept me engaged for almost the entirety of the book. (I was able to finish this in one sitting.) The climax ended up falling a little bit short for me, I was almost expecting something more to happen. (hmm Heartless??)
🕯️ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:
⤷ 4.75 stars (rounded up)
👻 sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs:
⤷ House of Salt and Sorrows (Erin A Craig)
⤷ Sorcery of Thornes (Margaret Rogerson)
PS: i learned from reading other reviews that this is set in the same world as the Gilded Duology (which i started but wouldn’t finish), so if u liked that one - this might be even more enjoyable!
Want to read
February 13, 2025i don’t know anything about bluebeard but you can bet your ass i’m reading this the second it’s out thank you queen 🙏🧎♀️➡️
Want to read
May 16, 2025ANOTHER MARISSA MEYER BOOK I'VE LONGED FOR THIS DAY
August 24, 2025
★﹐ 4 twinkling stars . . . ．﹗﹑
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⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀» shrey's reading journal :: review 31 .ᐟ 𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ ꒰ 08.24.25 ꒱
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ps. my reviews are meant for computers, not phones, so the format will likely be messed up if you view it through your phone..
Marissa Meyers has done it again! This book is filled with magic and wonder that I've come to expect from Marissa Meyer! I'm convinced she writes the most vivid and descriptive retellings out there. If your thinking of reading this book without having read Bluebeard, I'd say go for it! I went into this book absolutely blind, knowing only that it was a retelling of an old French fairytale, and to say it met my expectations is an understatement.
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
but, we'll return to that eventually, first off . . .
⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄☆⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘷𝘦𝘴 𖤓 ꒱
The strongest part of this book for me was the characters. Each character is messy and layered (in the best way possible.) I promise that Marissa Meyers is capable of writing some of the most intense, descriptive characters that leave you bonded with them. Unfortunately, that does end up leaving you heartbroken when you're finished, but I suppose it's worth the hours you spend with each character. Each relationship with each character wasn't just surface-level, there's tension and plenty of betrayal laced all around. She has a gift of giving most characters their own voice that makes it easier to remember them, which I really appreciate.
The house itself also deserves it's own paragraph. I'm actually obsessed with how its written. It's elegant, mysterious, and whimsical in places. The eeriness and the feeling of not knowing what was around the corner was what this book really needed. It'll remind you of why you fell in love with fantasy in the first place, not necessarily for the world, but the atmosphere and the feeling it delivers.
There is a certain feeling you get, when you open a book written by an author who can make the entire experience of reading worth it. The House Saphir written by Marissa Meyers captures this feeling perfectly. The build up, the atmosphere, the feeling you get when you open this book were immaculate, and will likely leave you longing for more.
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 ✿ ꒱
The early chapters were definitely the best, that was when she described everything so vividly you could feel it inside of you. However, upon reading further, it slowly begins to descend downwards in terms of description. Collectively, the book is still incredibly vivid, but the early chapters were easy to picture in comparison to the rest. That being said, I don't think I've read many books that have the same feel for the entirety of the book, so I don't mind it too much. Again, it is still descriptive beyond your normal fantasy book.
The middle dragged for me a little, but once the plot twists began to unfold, it wasn't hard to overlook the dragging. I would say push through it, and please don't DNF it in the middle just because its boring because the ending is definitely worth the slowness of the middle section.
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 ⛰︎ ꒱
Please forget what I said about Armand and his personality shifts, I didn't mean it!
I feel like Marissa Meyers gave just enough hints that you had a suspicion, but also not enough hints to the point where you start doubting who you suspected.
Definitely a great fall/winter read, so it being published in November makes perfect sense!
The romance was a really small subplot in my opinion. That being said, it was still fun to read the romance!
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
ꗃ﹒、 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 ˚ ✈︎ ⋆｡
✧ All in all, it was a great read. Captivating, descriptive, yet a tad bit slow in the middle, but that was easy to overlook. The plot-twists will leave you with your mouth open.
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀˖ ֹ੭୧ wrapping up the review . . . ᝰ.ᐟ
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⤷ ... thanks for joining me <3 ...
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀˚ - . һᥱᥲr𝗍 mᥲძᥱ ᥆𝖿 gᥣᥲss, mᥡ mіᥒძ ᥆𝖿 s𝗍᥆ᥒᥱ 🏚️ 𐚁 . - ˙
⠀:¨ ·.· ¨:⠀
⠀ `· . as a reminder ...
i treat every review with the respect it deserves, and thus, expect the same for mine! if you are unable to process the idea of respect, please take your leave. you do not have to agree with my review to be kind. and if your interactive, send over a frq !! id love to talk w you!
ﾒ૦ﾒ૦ ...
⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ~ shreya
𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀☼⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒
⌗ ρrє-rєα∂ ⭑.ᐟ
⤷ ᯓ first of all. marissa meyers?? YALL KNOW I ATE HEARTLESS UP LMAO (actually like the most awesome book everr) however, i havent read bluebeard so im not entirely sure what to expect..
𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 ⋆ and also. my first arc? aaa ayaya im so excited ohmygosh 🥹 anyways watch me devour this!
⠀
⤿ thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the eARC!
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀» shrey's reading journal :: review 31 .ᐟ 𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ ꒰ 08.24.25 ꒱
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
ps. my reviews are meant for computers, not phones, so the format will likely be messed up if you view it through your phone..
Marissa Meyers has done it again! This book is filled with magic and wonder that I've come to expect from Marissa Meyer! I'm convinced she writes the most vivid and descriptive retellings out there. If your thinking of reading this book without having read Bluebeard, I'd say go for it! I went into this book absolutely blind, knowing only that it was a retelling of an old French fairytale, and to say it met my expectations is an understatement.
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
but, we'll return to that eventually, first off . . .
⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄☆⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘷𝘦𝘴 𖤓 ꒱
The strongest part of this book for me was the characters. Each character is messy and layered (in the best way possible.) I promise that Marissa Meyers is capable of writing some of the most intense, descriptive characters that leave you bonded with them. Unfortunately, that does end up leaving you heartbroken when you're finished, but I suppose it's worth the hours you spend with each character. Each relationship with each character wasn't just surface-level, there's tension and plenty of betrayal laced all around. She has a gift of giving most characters their own voice that makes it easier to remember them, which I really appreciate.
The house itself also deserves it's own paragraph. I'm actually obsessed with how its written. It's elegant, mysterious, and whimsical in places. The eeriness and the feeling of not knowing what was around the corner was what this book really needed. It'll remind you of why you fell in love with fantasy in the first place, not necessarily for the world, but the atmosphere and the feeling it delivers.
There is a certain feeling you get, when you open a book written by an author who can make the entire experience of reading worth it. The House Saphir written by Marissa Meyers captures this feeling perfectly. The build up, the atmosphere, the feeling you get when you open this book were immaculate, and will likely leave you longing for more.
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 ✿ ꒱
The early chapters were definitely the best, that was when she described everything so vividly you could feel it inside of you. However, upon reading further, it slowly begins to descend downwards in terms of description. Collectively, the book is still incredibly vivid, but the early chapters were easy to picture in comparison to the rest. That being said, I don't think I've read many books that have the same feel for the entirety of the book, so I don't mind it too much. Again, it is still descriptive beyond your normal fantasy book.
The middle dragged for me a little, but once the plot twists began to unfold, it wasn't hard to overlook the dragging. I would say push through it, and please don't DNF it in the middle just because its boring because the ending is definitely worth the slowness of the middle section.
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 ⛰︎ ꒱
Please forget what I said about Armand and his personality shifts, I didn't mean it!
I feel like Marissa Meyers gave just enough hints that you had a suspicion, but also not enough hints to the point where you start doubting who you suspected.
Definitely a great fall/winter read, so it being published in November makes perfect sense!
The romance was a really small subplot in my opinion. That being said, it was still fun to read the romance!
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
ꗃ﹒、 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 ˚ ✈︎ ⋆｡
✧ All in all, it was a great read. Captivating, descriptive, yet a tad bit slow in the middle, but that was easy to overlook. The plot-twists will leave you with your mouth open.
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀˖ ֹ੭୧ wrapping up the review . . . ᝰ.ᐟ
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⤷ ... thanks for joining me <3 ...
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀˚ - . һᥱᥲr𝗍 mᥲძᥱ ᥆𝖿 gᥣᥲss, mᥡ mіᥒძ ᥆𝖿 s𝗍᥆ᥒᥱ 🏚️ 𐚁 . - ˙
⠀:¨ ·.· ¨:⠀
⠀ `· . as a reminder ...
i treat every review with the respect it deserves, and thus, expect the same for mine! if you are unable to process the idea of respect, please take your leave. you do not have to agree with my review to be kind. and if your interactive, send over a frq !! id love to talk w you!
ﾒ૦ﾒ૦ ...
⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ~ shreya
𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀☼⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒
⌗ ρrє-rєα∂ ⭑.ᐟ
⤷ ᯓ first of all. marissa meyers?? YALL KNOW I ATE HEARTLESS UP LMAO (actually like the most awesome book everr) however, i havent read bluebeard so im not entirely sure what to expect..
𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 ⋆ and also. my first arc? aaa ayaya im so excited ohmygosh 🥹 anyways watch me devour this!
⠀
⤿ thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the eARC!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,457 reviews