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The Breathing House
The Blakely family redefines "home sweet home."
After a rough few years, Marnie Blakely is finally sober and now a drug/alcohol counselor who relocates with her family—Judd, her firefighter husband, whose love burns only for her. A teenage girl who is solely concerned about reception and friends, as well as keeping two boisterous boys and their sidekick, a fellow troublemaker dog, in her hometown of Bernice, Louisiana.
While the community and neighbors aren't perfect, the house is a dream come true. Or, at the very least, that is what it wishes to become. It also doesn't want its current caregiver, Abbot. So, it's looking for another one, and Marnie is it.
As time passes, Marnie becomes increasingly concerned that something is wrong inside the house. She's not wrong. It's just that no one believes her when she tells them. Her husband is afraid returning might have broken the stitch about her mother on her heart and broken her sobriety. But Marnie is stern; something roams along the hallway at night and crawls up the stairs, and the feeling is always being watched.
Marnie isn't the only one who has secrets. The caretaker, Abbot, has one as well, which will change her entire life. To save her family's lives, Marnie must listen to the breathing inside the house and the inhabitants within to survive.
After a rough few years, Marnie Blakely is finally sober and now a drug/alcohol counselor who relocates with her family—Judd, her firefighter husband, whose love burns only for her. A teenage girl who is solely concerned about reception and friends, as well as keeping two boisterous boys and their sidekick, a fellow troublemaker dog, in her hometown of Bernice, Louisiana.
While the community and neighbors aren't perfect, the house is a dream come true. Or, at the very least, that is what it wishes to become. It also doesn't want its current caregiver, Abbot. So, it's looking for another one, and Marnie is it.
As time passes, Marnie becomes increasingly concerned that something is wrong inside the house. She's not wrong. It's just that no one believes her when she tells them. Her husband is afraid returning might have broken the stitch about her mother on her heart and broken her sobriety. But Marnie is stern; something roams along the hallway at night and crawls up the stairs, and the feeling is always being watched.
Marnie isn't the only one who has secrets. The caretaker, Abbot, has one as well, which will change her entire life. To save her family's lives, Marnie must listen to the breathing inside the house and the inhabitants within to survive.
91 pages, Paperback
First published June 26, 2025
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 23, 2025
Stacey L Pierson has the potential to be a star!
First, let me say that I firmly believe a 3-Star review is a good review. It says the author made an honest effort, and simply needs to tweak this or that, to learn, to grow, to be the very best writer she can be.
I read her short story, "What Rough Beasts", and now this neat novella. The story has what many stories today lack, some real horror atmosphere, and storytelling. You get goosebumps from her spooky tale rather than typical shock stuff. This young lady can write!
What lowered the star count?
The editing, or lack thereof. It was actually making the story kinda hard to read.
Keep an eye on this author! I believe there are fantastic stories to come from her in the years ahead!
First, let me say that I firmly believe a 3-Star review is a good review. It says the author made an honest effort, and simply needs to tweak this or that, to learn, to grow, to be the very best writer she can be.
I read her short story, "What Rough Beasts", and now this neat novella. The story has what many stories today lack, some real horror atmosphere, and storytelling. You get goosebumps from her spooky tale rather than typical shock stuff. This young lady can write!
What lowered the star count?
The editing, or lack thereof. It was actually making the story kinda hard to read.
Keep an eye on this author! I believe there are fantastic stories to come from her in the years ahead!
April 17, 2025
(3.5/5 rounded up)
This was a fast, solid haunted house read. With a classic spooky setup—and this delivered.
We follow a family as they move into a house where strange, unsettling things start happening almost immediately. I liked how the story wove in glimpses of the house’s history, its previous owners, and the dark events. That layering added a nice eerie touch.
That said, there were a few elements that could’ve been developed a little more. Still, it didn’t ruin the experience for me.
This was a fast, solid haunted house read. With a classic spooky setup—and this delivered.
We follow a family as they move into a house where strange, unsettling things start happening almost immediately. I liked how the story wove in glimpses of the house’s history, its previous owners, and the dark events. That layering added a nice eerie touch.
That said, there were a few elements that could’ve been developed a little more. Still, it didn’t ruin the experience for me.
April 22, 2025
The Breathing House was written for horror and thriller readers who always know the ending before it occurs. If that is you, then you’ll be delightfully surprised and horrified by this book.
Rarely done well, you’ll find non-linear storytelling at its best! Stacey is an author of unrivaled creativity, paying equal attention to secondary characters as main characters. Describing something as mundane as pie, she made me crave it for days.
If you aren’t taking this book home now, I believe you should, or you might encounter the Breathing House
T.C. Westminster-Author/Editor
Rarely done well, you’ll find non-linear storytelling at its best! Stacey is an author of unrivaled creativity, paying equal attention to secondary characters as main characters. Describing something as mundane as pie, she made me crave it for days.
If you aren’t taking this book home now, I believe you should, or you might encounter the Breathing House
T.C. Westminster-Author/Editor
June 16, 2025
The Breathing House is a fun and entertaining haunted house novella. Pierson uses different timelines to explore the house's previous tenants, immersing the reader in its horrific past, while unveiling the terror of its present via the current tenants, The Blakely Family.
I enjoyed the larger than life characters and haunting imagery. Fans of gothic stories and nostalgic horror will enjoy this quick and creepy tale!
I enjoyed the larger than life characters and haunting imagery. Fans of gothic stories and nostalgic horror will enjoy this quick and creepy tale!
June 1, 2025
The Breathing House by Stacey L. Pierson is a novella that weaves together multiple timelines all centering on a particular farmhouse that seems to take on a life of its own. The main character, Marnie, moves into the house with her husband and three children and begins to suspect that something is very wrong with her house and its history.
I received an unedited ARC of this book and enjoyed reading it. I liked the author’s sensory details and description of the house and its characteristics. The shift between different years and contexts was interesting but sometimes confusing as the connections weren’t as clear as they could be.
If you are a fan of gothic stories with elements of a haunted home, then this book is for you! It will be released on June 26th!
I received an unedited ARC of this book and enjoyed reading it. I liked the author’s sensory details and description of the house and its characteristics. The shift between different years and contexts was interesting but sometimes confusing as the connections weren’t as clear as they could be.
If you are a fan of gothic stories with elements of a haunted home, then this book is for you! It will be released on June 26th!
July 8, 2025
A haunted house novella that packs a punch, readers will be swept up in trying to unravel exactly what the Blakley family is going through in their new house, and their promised new beginning is not what it seems. Pierson delivers an original story as always.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews