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The Bones We Haunt
In November of 1905, Jane Sterling, a young American socialite and familial black sheep, seeks a chance to indulge in her love for paleontology between attending archeological lectures at the University of Cambridge in her father’s stead. After a chance reunion with Terence Hayes, a reclusive gentleman, offers her the once in a lifetime opportunity to appraise fossils found on his property, she can hardly resist, and lets him whisk her away to his ancestral home of the Drowning House.
Isolated in the middle of the vast Wolf’s Run marshes that are marred by unfriendly locals and legends of beasts stalking the reeds under the cover of night, Jane finds she is all too happy to leave when her work is finished. But when violent storms cause waters in the marsh to rise, washing out the roads, she becomes trapped on the grounds and is forced to face something hungry that comes to scratch at her door — something not quite… human.
Imprisoned in the house by the marshes and a potential beast stalking within the reeds, Jane is pulled into a game of survival as she deciphers demonic secrets plaguing a family’s bloodline and battles her growing attraction towards a man caging dark secrets beneath his skin.
A gothic werewolf historical romance that is a blend of THE WOLFMAN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE.
Isolated in the middle of the vast Wolf’s Run marshes that are marred by unfriendly locals and legends of beasts stalking the reeds under the cover of night, Jane finds she is all too happy to leave when her work is finished. But when violent storms cause waters in the marsh to rise, washing out the roads, she becomes trapped on the grounds and is forced to face something hungry that comes to scratch at her door — something not quite… human.
Imprisoned in the house by the marshes and a potential beast stalking within the reeds, Jane is pulled into a game of survival as she deciphers demonic secrets plaguing a family’s bloodline and battles her growing attraction towards a man caging dark secrets beneath his skin.
A gothic werewolf historical romance that is a blend of THE WOLFMAN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2025
12 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Josephine Taylor
1 book7 followersJosephine Taylor is a romance, fantasy, and horror writer from the Wisconsin Northwoods who loves monsters, cheesy romances, libraries, and her furry children, which consist of two guinea pigs and one cat.
Follow Josephine for updates on Instagram @/jo.taylor.books or Twitter @/JoTaylorBooks.
Follow Josephine for updates on Instagram @/jo.taylor.books or Twitter @/JoTaylorBooks.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 8, 2026
THE BONES WE HAUNT is such a fun surprise. It starts out deceptively cozy. Jane, the heroine, is a socialite who attends archaeological lectures. She is young and acts like it, which I really enjoyed, because it's always fun to read about girly, slightly immature FMCs who just own their behavior (because they're girls). At one of these lectures, she meets Terence, a man she has had prior acquaintance with and kind of has a crush on, even though he's older. Terence is a soft boy, who blushes and whimpers and he even has a hand tremor (and as someone who has a hand tremor, I really appreciated that representation).
Things escalate when she goes to his estate to appraise some fossils. Terence lives in a place called The Drowning House right in the middle of a marsh that often floods and basically turns into a gigantic sea of mud. The visuals in this part of the story were amazing, and very Guillermo del Toro-esque, but the story gets even creepier because Terence and his household get very strange at night, and very insistent that Jane never leave her room after dark, no matter what she hears.
I loved how creepy this was. I actually cringed at parts because they were so horrific and scary (complimentary). While I wouldn't quite call this cozy horror-- because it was genuinely terrifying in the middle and towards the end-- there is something very safe-feeling about this because it's a romance, which guarantees you a happy ending, no matter how blood-drenched, which is one of the reasons I love reading horror romances so much. The writing is also incredibly beautiful and vivid; Taylor's writing style feels so nostalgic, like reading an old gothic romance from the 90s Zebra line. I don't know how she does it, how she conjures up words that don't feel contemporary at all, that actually make you feel like you're sitting in a claustrophobic little room with no wi-fi and a princess phone while reading, but she does, and it's amazing.
She's been saying on social media that her next book is a sapphic Rebecca-inspired gothic romance, and I will absolutely be pre-ordering that because I was absolutely obsessed with this book.
4.5 stars
Things escalate when she goes to his estate to appraise some fossils. Terence lives in a place called The Drowning House right in the middle of a marsh that often floods and basically turns into a gigantic sea of mud. The visuals in this part of the story were amazing, and very Guillermo del Toro-esque, but the story gets even creepier because Terence and his household get very strange at night, and very insistent that Jane never leave her room after dark, no matter what she hears.
I loved how creepy this was. I actually cringed at parts because they were so horrific and scary (complimentary). While I wouldn't quite call this cozy horror-- because it was genuinely terrifying in the middle and towards the end-- there is something very safe-feeling about this because it's a romance, which guarantees you a happy ending, no matter how blood-drenched, which is one of the reasons I love reading horror romances so much. The writing is also incredibly beautiful and vivid; Taylor's writing style feels so nostalgic, like reading an old gothic romance from the 90s Zebra line. I don't know how she does it, how she conjures up words that don't feel contemporary at all, that actually make you feel like you're sitting in a claustrophobic little room with no wi-fi and a princess phone while reading, but she does, and it's amazing.
She's been saying on social media that her next book is a sapphic Rebecca-inspired gothic romance, and I will absolutely be pre-ordering that because I was absolutely obsessed with this book.
4.5 stars
August 10, 2025
A Gothic horror romance that is so beautifully written it transports you back in time and straight into this haunting story. I was hiding under my bed cover to keep the chills at bay despite it being a hot summer evening, because the atmosphere was so gripping! I couldn't put the book down. The MCs were solid, the FMC was a tough lady, and the story was unpredictable to the point where I was wondering whether everyone would make it to the end. There was mystery as well, keeping me on my toes until the very last page. Loved it!
March 2, 2025
heehee sad dilf-y werewolf :)
Content warnings include:
-graphic depictions of gore, body horror, and peril
-death of an animal (off page, with on-page aftermath)
-death of a child (mention)
-suicide (off-page and mentioned)
-period-typical use of ableist language when referencing mental health
-age gap relationship (15 years)
-use of a firearm
-allusions to Hell, demons, and occultism
If you feel this list is inaccurate/could use additional warnings, reach out to me via email or my socials so that I may edit the listing here and on my website.
Content warnings include:
-graphic depictions of gore, body horror, and peril
-death of an animal (off page, with on-page aftermath)
-death of a child (mention)
-suicide (off-page and mentioned)
-period-typical use of ableist language when referencing mental health
-age gap relationship (15 years)
-use of a firearm
-allusions to Hell, demons, and occultism
If you feel this list is inaccurate/could use additional warnings, reach out to me via email or my socials so that I may edit the listing here and on my website.
August 5, 2025
I was so intrigued the entire time. There felt like some loose ends that needed to be tied up…but over all I really enjoyed this not werewolf but wolf? romance
May 11, 2025
oh I absolutely DEVOURED this 🤤 absolutely beautiful debut work!! Jojo, I'm so damn proud I could cry 🥹 I'm having difficulty articulating myself rn so I'm probably going to add more details to this review later once my thoughts have settled so for now I'll just quote the eternal words of Lady Gaga: Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before.
June 25, 2025
Omg!! Delightfully tragic and romantic!
July 12, 2025
I ATE THIS UP!!! as a debut novel it was a hit for me and the ending just left me wanting more of it! it has a lot of what i love (gothic overtones, romance, some gore/horror, badass fmcs) but honestly my absolute favorite thing is the fact that both of the main characters are flawed, both in their personalities and their physical appearance. this genuinely might be the first romance book i’ve read that the characters aren’t just conventionally attractive and i love that more than anything. like in the way that they’re physically described, they’re just people. and i want more of that. you don’t have to be stunningly good looking to have a breathtaking romance 🥰
January 1, 2026
"i'm a monster, and i do not wish to be. but-please- if i'm to be one, then let me be yours."
would
would
Want to read
June 3, 2025Excited for this one! Saw it marketed as perfect for summerween, which sounds awesome.
dnf
December 28, 2025DNF @28% — I was really anticipating this one because the aesthetic oooooh she’s so good!! sadly for me personally I feel like the fact that Jane and Terence already knew each other was working against us (which is wild for me, a friends to lovers proponent) because I think it actually was kind of detracting from the gothic drama of it all? idk maybe it was just me. personally 28% of the book is just too far into a book to not feel INVESTED and I wasn’t really there so I’m carrying on, with regrets 🥲
April 17, 2025
Got the opportunity to read an e-ARC.
I just want to say, this is a horror through and through, so make sure you check out the CW the author has provided!
The Bones We Haunt is a mash-up of horror, historical romance, and paranormal fantasy. It's witty, it's disturbing, and it's so, so good! Our main character Jane Sterling is a young American woman visiting London with her mother in place of her father. They attend an archeology convention at Cambridge University. There, they bump into a friend of hers, Terence Heyes, who tells her he's uncovered fossils near his home he would like her father to look at. Jane takes the opportunity to study the fossils herself--her special interest--and returns with Terence to his home for what is supposed to be a one-day trip. But Terence lives in the marshes, and a storm floods them in. It wouldn't be so bad if there weren't whispers of evil in the night...
Jane is spunky, intelligent, and totally enamored with Terence. She's a woman struggling against the expectations of women in the early 20th century. People expect her to be more like her sisters, artistic and soft, and while Jane certainly loves her dresses, she much prefers digging through dirt and unearthing mysteries. It's why she's drawn to the Drowning House at first, the desire to unveil the identity of the fossils Terrence possesses and also the man's heart itself. And seeing her take charge of her own destiny in a house that's out to get her is incredibly satisfying.
Terence Heyes is our male lead. And though we don't get his POV, Taylor does a phenomenal job at giving readers a glimpse into his psyche. At first, through Jane's eyes, we perceive him as shy but charismatic. There's a seed for something more between the two characters that's already been planted by the time they reunite at the start of the book, and you wait to see when the bubble will burst so they can be together. But when we enter the marches and Terrence's family home, we learn there's much more to the man. He's ravaged by his own demons, ones Jane will have to decide if she's willing to confront.
What binds the entire story together, in my opinion, is Taylor's writing. Her style is eclectic and romantic. I would often pause to reread lines over and over again because of how much I loved them. I'm a nerd for stellar chracterization, and I love when authors have the ability to describe settings, people, and emotions in a way that makes you just get it. I truly cannot wait to see what else she has in store.
All in all, The Bones We Haunt is an excellent debut. It's not a long read, but it's charged with tension, gore, and mystery. It's an allegory to societal demands that haunt us and how when left to stew, can grow into something truly montrous.
I just want to say, this is a horror through and through, so make sure you check out the CW the author has provided!
The Bones We Haunt is a mash-up of horror, historical romance, and paranormal fantasy. It's witty, it's disturbing, and it's so, so good! Our main character Jane Sterling is a young American woman visiting London with her mother in place of her father. They attend an archeology convention at Cambridge University. There, they bump into a friend of hers, Terence Heyes, who tells her he's uncovered fossils near his home he would like her father to look at. Jane takes the opportunity to study the fossils herself--her special interest--and returns with Terence to his home for what is supposed to be a one-day trip. But Terence lives in the marshes, and a storm floods them in. It wouldn't be so bad if there weren't whispers of evil in the night...
Jane is spunky, intelligent, and totally enamored with Terence. She's a woman struggling against the expectations of women in the early 20th century. People expect her to be more like her sisters, artistic and soft, and while Jane certainly loves her dresses, she much prefers digging through dirt and unearthing mysteries. It's why she's drawn to the Drowning House at first, the desire to unveil the identity of the fossils Terrence possesses and also the man's heart itself. And seeing her take charge of her own destiny in a house that's out to get her is incredibly satisfying.
Terence Heyes is our male lead. And though we don't get his POV, Taylor does a phenomenal job at giving readers a glimpse into his psyche. At first, through Jane's eyes, we perceive him as shy but charismatic. There's a seed for something more between the two characters that's already been planted by the time they reunite at the start of the book, and you wait to see when the bubble will burst so they can be together. But when we enter the marches and Terrence's family home, we learn there's much more to the man. He's ravaged by his own demons, ones Jane will have to decide if she's willing to confront.
What binds the entire story together, in my opinion, is Taylor's writing. Her style is eclectic and romantic. I would often pause to reread lines over and over again because of how much I loved them. I'm a nerd for stellar chracterization, and I love when authors have the ability to describe settings, people, and emotions in a way that makes you just get it. I truly cannot wait to see what else she has in store.
All in all, The Bones We Haunt is an excellent debut. It's not a long read, but it's charged with tension, gore, and mystery. It's an allegory to societal demands that haunt us and how when left to stew, can grow into something truly montrous.
November 23, 2025
Bloody hell, Josephine Taylor quickly has become one of my favourites. Her writing is EXQUISITE and made me envious in places. The way I could conjure up the characters and the setting and that ever unravelling sense of dread. Brilliant.
Terrance Hayes is such a superbly brooding man but I ADORED Jane in so many ways - especially as she tries to buck tradition.
An amazing book and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
Terrance Hayes is such a superbly brooding man but I ADORED Jane in so many ways - especially as she tries to buck tradition.
An amazing book and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
August 25, 2025
I don't usually pick up books like this one but it was truly a wonderful pick. The use of language was captivating and beautiful. The story was dark and intriguing. I latched on so quick. I didn't want to put it down! I absolutely cannot wait to read more books written by Josephine because I loved this one so dang much!
December 9, 2025
4.5/5
THIS WAS SO CINEMA!!!!!
Jane is such an amazing character.She has so much determination and drive, and I wish I was like her 😭💕 Her chemistry with Terence is perfect oml I love how awkward he is
The gore was so tastefully gnarly and the atmosphere was so good. Wish there were more interactions with the staff, but this was still such a great read!
THIS WAS SO CINEMA!!!!!
Jane is such an amazing character.She has so much determination and drive, and I wish I was like her 😭💕 Her chemistry with Terence is perfect oml I love how awkward he is
The gore was so tastefully gnarly and the atmosphere was so good. Wish there were more interactions with the staff, but this was still such a great read!
June 5, 2025
Within the first third of the book, I was looking to the “About the Author” section to find more to read by Josephine, only to be shocked that this is her debut novel. She writes with the prose of a seasoned author. Josephine is coming out the gate strong with this one. Well done!
October 8, 2025
I had the pleasure to format this book, and am so happy that I finally got around to reading it 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I love horror & romance and this was the best bloody balance that I could ask for.
100% recommend 🥰
I love horror & romance and this was the best bloody balance that I could ask for.
100% recommend 🥰
March 26, 2025
beautiful and dark with a gripping story and it interesting characters. If you like strong leading female character, gore and hidden mystery this book is for you!
July 20, 2025
I really loved how grotesque this werewolf was
December 29, 2025
A fun Gothic horror/romance read! I especially loved Jane, including her interest in paleontology, flamboyant fashion sense, and work to carve her own path in the early 1900s. The manor was so creepy and atmospheric, plus full of secrets and prowling monsters just like any good Gothic setting should be!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews