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The Last Ballard
There's more than one way to be haunted.
After the deaths of her abusive grandparents, prodigal daughter Rhiannon "Rhea" Ballard ends her self-imposed exile and returns home to the stately Ballard House for one last goodbye. She expects to pay her respects, field awkward questions, and let her family name die with her.
But when she discovers that she had inherited everything, she must stay in the house and act as the caretaker while it is under probate to put her family's affairs in order. As she digs into her family's dark secrets, the spirits of the house reawaken and her own traumatic memories resurface.
With the help of the family cook, Morgan Reyes, an alluring woman with her own dark secret, and the supernatural skeptic groundskeeper, Andy Higgins, she must solve a century old mystery and put the spirits of the estate to rest before she becomes one herself.
After the deaths of her abusive grandparents, prodigal daughter Rhiannon "Rhea" Ballard ends her self-imposed exile and returns home to the stately Ballard House for one last goodbye. She expects to pay her respects, field awkward questions, and let her family name die with her.
But when she discovers that she had inherited everything, she must stay in the house and act as the caretaker while it is under probate to put her family's affairs in order. As she digs into her family's dark secrets, the spirits of the house reawaken and her own traumatic memories resurface.
With the help of the family cook, Morgan Reyes, an alluring woman with her own dark secret, and the supernatural skeptic groundskeeper, Andy Higgins, she must solve a century old mystery and put the spirits of the estate to rest before she becomes one herself.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 23, 2025
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 29, 2025
4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Excellent storytelling, beautiful flow, and strong prose—I was instantly pulled in. I received this as an ARC and can confidently say I’ll read anything this author writes. The only reason it’s not a full five stars is that it felt like it was missing something. I can’t quite name what, but whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to take away from how much I enjoyed the story.
The book follows Rhea Ballard, who returns to the infamous Ballard House after the death of her abusive grandparents. What should’ve been a brief goodbye turns into a haunting stay as she inherits the estate and its many secrets. The atmosphere is gothic and chilling in all the right ways, with an unsettling history that unfolds through both supernatural elements and deeply buried trauma.
Morgan, the mysterious family cook, and Andy, the sarcastic skeptic groundskeeper, add the perfect dynamic to Rhea’s journey. Together, they uncover a century-old mystery that’s as emotionally heavy as it is eerie.
This one is for readers who love haunted houses with real ghosts, emotional depth, and a slow unraveling of dark family secrets. Definitely a standout gothic horror read.
Excellent storytelling, beautiful flow, and strong prose—I was instantly pulled in. I received this as an ARC and can confidently say I’ll read anything this author writes. The only reason it’s not a full five stars is that it felt like it was missing something. I can’t quite name what, but whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to take away from how much I enjoyed the story.
The book follows Rhea Ballard, who returns to the infamous Ballard House after the death of her abusive grandparents. What should’ve been a brief goodbye turns into a haunting stay as she inherits the estate and its many secrets. The atmosphere is gothic and chilling in all the right ways, with an unsettling history that unfolds through both supernatural elements and deeply buried trauma.
Morgan, the mysterious family cook, and Andy, the sarcastic skeptic groundskeeper, add the perfect dynamic to Rhea’s journey. Together, they uncover a century-old mystery that’s as emotionally heavy as it is eerie.
This one is for readers who love haunted houses with real ghosts, emotional depth, and a slow unraveling of dark family secrets. Definitely a standout gothic horror read.
June 23, 2025
After the death of her cruel grandparents, a young woman is drawn back to the haunted home she barely escaped—and discovers that when it comes to the Ballards, death doesn’t mean peace. This new adult debut blends gothic horror, generational trauma, and queer identity into a story that’s as eerie as it is personal.
I was intrigued by the supernatural elements—there are some chilling moments—but it felt like the book didn’t fully deliver on its horror potential. That said, I see real promise in Hanifen’s voice, and would love to see what she comes up with if she leans into adult horror in future works. I’d absolutely check out what she writes next.
🕯️ Family curses
🌙 Gothic vibes
🌈 LGBTQ+ representation
👻 Hauntings that go deeper than ghosts
Thank you to the author and publisher for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I was intrigued by the supernatural elements—there are some chilling moments—but it felt like the book didn’t fully deliver on its horror potential. That said, I see real promise in Hanifen’s voice, and would love to see what she comes up with if she leans into adult horror in future works. I’d absolutely check out what she writes next.
🕯️ Family curses
🌙 Gothic vibes
🌈 LGBTQ+ representation
👻 Hauntings that go deeper than ghosts
Thank you to the author and publisher for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
June 20, 2025
Everyone is haunted in one way or another. If not by actual spirits, than by memories, regrets, failings, near-misses and might-have-beens. The trauma of abuse, too, can haunt a person for a lifetime. There are many ways to deal with our private ghosts; some self-medicate via drugs or alcohol, others try to flee, but the bravest among us face their traumas through therapy, support groups, or counseling. Yet while confronting past hurts may ultimately heal, the journey towards catharsis can be perilous.
Excavating psychological wounds is akin to opening Pandora’s Box; once the metaphorical phantoms are loose, they are difficult, if not impossible, to put back.
One author willing to explore those darker recesses of the human heart is Kay Hanifen, whose debut Miravalle Books novel, The Last Ballard, is a vivid study of generational sin set amid a spooky supernatural Gothic backdrop.
Since well before the American Revolution, the Ballard family has lived in old-money opulence in the tiny New England town of Cherub Cove. A line of guileful connivers and robber barons, their power and influence is on par with the Rockefellers or Vanderbilts. Rhiannon ‘Rhea’ Ballard is the final blood relation of the family’s long lineage; as a child, both of her parents were killed in a tragic boating accident on the lake behind the Ballard mansion, and Rhea was subsequently raised by her authoritarian paternal grandparents, Bert and Astrid. Isolated from her peers due to home-schooling and a victim of constant emotional, mental, and physical abuse, Rhea’s miserable, sequestered existence is complicated by the presence of several ghosts dwelling in the mansion. There’s the sad woman who cries on the foot of her bed each night, and the little girl fascinated with flowers who lives in the attic tower Rhea’s grandparents periodically imprison her in. Most menacing, however, is the spirit who emerges from the lake wearing her mother’s face.
After a then-teenage Rhea meets and falls in love with a spunky local girl named Eliza at a party, Bert and Astrid exact Draconian punishment for what they view as an unnatural relationship; locking her in the tower for four months, Rhea’s only chance for survival is to escape out the attic window. On her own for six hardscrabble years thereafter, Rhea scratches out a meager existence, determined to forge a destiny free from the oppressive Ballard name. When she receives word that Bert and Astrid have both died, however, Rhea is drawn back to Cherub Cove for their funerals. Shocked to learn that she’s the sole inheritor of the family fortune, she’s forced to act as the mansion’s caretaker while it’s under probate to put her grandparents’ affairs in order. There Rhea hits it off with Morgan Reyes, the Ballard’s cook and her grandparents’ former caretaker; the two become close, but Morgan possesses her own grave secret involving a stalker ex-boyfriend who was found floating in the mansion’s lake years earlier. Delving into her family’s sinister secrets, Rhea inadvertently reawakens the ghosts of the property, and now she, Morgan, and Andy Higgins, the skeptical groundskeeper, have to piece together the mystery of her ancestor’s poisonous crimes before they’re all taken by the vengeful elemental sprite that’s vowed never to rest until the last Ballard is dead.
As with the greatest fiction, The Last Ballard can be enjoyed on multiple levels. In its simplest form, the novel grants its audience welcomed escapism, and the long-simmering climax literally and figuratively ignites with thrills. Yet serious and important themes about family, friendship, loss, betrayal, forgiveness, acceptance, and the misuse of power are also explored. Hanifen’s dexterous and kinetic prose so effectively conveys the intricate spectrum of human experience that each carefully-chosen word pulls the reader deeper into the story. Her clear vision, wry wit, and gift for fully rendering a character's motivations, desires, and insecurities cut to the heart of every scene. This is seen nowhere more clearly than in Rhea; as a lead, she’s complicated, believable, and realistic. Signs of that complexity are her sometimes conflicting feelings; raised in a virtual social vacuum, victimized and imprisoned, Rhea experiences understandable hatred for Bert and Astrid, yet still acknowledges affection for them despite their wicked behavior. Similarly, her history with Eliza arouses contradictory sentiments: ever since running away, Rhea daydreamed of reuniting with her first and only love, but when the moment inevitably arrives her longing crashes head-on with reality in the most painful ways.
In contrast, the burgeoning romance between oft-prickly Rhea and the tender-hearted Morgan is by turns sweet, funny, and endearing. Unlike many books where a relationship seems forced, the coupling here progresses so organically it’s impossible not to find charming, and their lively back-and-forth banter provides the novel’s best dialogue. As the primary supporting character, Morgan is Rhea’s polar opposite: she’s confident, talented, caring, and descended from a close-knit, supportive family, but she’s also tough beyond all measure. Morgan saw the intolerable sides of Bert and Astrid first-hand, and believes Rhea’s tales of abuse when many wouldn’t have due to the Ballard’s demigod status. With her own past marred by the suspicious death of her ex—one of Cherub Cove’s favorite sons—Morgan became a source of turgid local gossip, and as a result suffered the same pariah-like alienation that befell Rhea.
When it comes to the supernatural side of the story, Hanifen pulls no punches. Any fan of detective fiction, ghost stories, or folklore won’t be disappointed by the intrigues in The Last Ballard. As the novel progresses its narrative builds upon the framework of classic Gothic literature (a centuries-old crumbling mansion, a decaying family with murderous secrets, madness, a distressed damsel plagued by spectral ills); indeed, Rhea even references Jane Eyre on several occasions. But there’s also a noticeable fairy tale aspect to The Last Ballard: like Rapunzel locked away in her tower, Rhea must throw off the shackles of her former self in order to find the new, prosperous future that’s within her grasp.
Filled with danger, humor, horror, and heart to spare, The Last Ballard is a superb novel, a stunning debut, and quite simply the best book I’ve yet reviewed in 2025. For those reasons and many more I feel compelled to bestow it the full 5 (out of 5) here on Goodreads. I can’t wait to see what spirits Hanifen conjures next.
Excavating psychological wounds is akin to opening Pandora’s Box; once the metaphorical phantoms are loose, they are difficult, if not impossible, to put back.
One author willing to explore those darker recesses of the human heart is Kay Hanifen, whose debut Miravalle Books novel, The Last Ballard, is a vivid study of generational sin set amid a spooky supernatural Gothic backdrop.
Since well before the American Revolution, the Ballard family has lived in old-money opulence in the tiny New England town of Cherub Cove. A line of guileful connivers and robber barons, their power and influence is on par with the Rockefellers or Vanderbilts. Rhiannon ‘Rhea’ Ballard is the final blood relation of the family’s long lineage; as a child, both of her parents were killed in a tragic boating accident on the lake behind the Ballard mansion, and Rhea was subsequently raised by her authoritarian paternal grandparents, Bert and Astrid. Isolated from her peers due to home-schooling and a victim of constant emotional, mental, and physical abuse, Rhea’s miserable, sequestered existence is complicated by the presence of several ghosts dwelling in the mansion. There’s the sad woman who cries on the foot of her bed each night, and the little girl fascinated with flowers who lives in the attic tower Rhea’s grandparents periodically imprison her in. Most menacing, however, is the spirit who emerges from the lake wearing her mother’s face.
After a then-teenage Rhea meets and falls in love with a spunky local girl named Eliza at a party, Bert and Astrid exact Draconian punishment for what they view as an unnatural relationship; locking her in the tower for four months, Rhea’s only chance for survival is to escape out the attic window. On her own for six hardscrabble years thereafter, Rhea scratches out a meager existence, determined to forge a destiny free from the oppressive Ballard name. When she receives word that Bert and Astrid have both died, however, Rhea is drawn back to Cherub Cove for their funerals. Shocked to learn that she’s the sole inheritor of the family fortune, she’s forced to act as the mansion’s caretaker while it’s under probate to put her grandparents’ affairs in order. There Rhea hits it off with Morgan Reyes, the Ballard’s cook and her grandparents’ former caretaker; the two become close, but Morgan possesses her own grave secret involving a stalker ex-boyfriend who was found floating in the mansion’s lake years earlier. Delving into her family’s sinister secrets, Rhea inadvertently reawakens the ghosts of the property, and now she, Morgan, and Andy Higgins, the skeptical groundskeeper, have to piece together the mystery of her ancestor’s poisonous crimes before they’re all taken by the vengeful elemental sprite that’s vowed never to rest until the last Ballard is dead.
As with the greatest fiction, The Last Ballard can be enjoyed on multiple levels. In its simplest form, the novel grants its audience welcomed escapism, and the long-simmering climax literally and figuratively ignites with thrills. Yet serious and important themes about family, friendship, loss, betrayal, forgiveness, acceptance, and the misuse of power are also explored. Hanifen’s dexterous and kinetic prose so effectively conveys the intricate spectrum of human experience that each carefully-chosen word pulls the reader deeper into the story. Her clear vision, wry wit, and gift for fully rendering a character's motivations, desires, and insecurities cut to the heart of every scene. This is seen nowhere more clearly than in Rhea; as a lead, she’s complicated, believable, and realistic. Signs of that complexity are her sometimes conflicting feelings; raised in a virtual social vacuum, victimized and imprisoned, Rhea experiences understandable hatred for Bert and Astrid, yet still acknowledges affection for them despite their wicked behavior. Similarly, her history with Eliza arouses contradictory sentiments: ever since running away, Rhea daydreamed of reuniting with her first and only love, but when the moment inevitably arrives her longing crashes head-on with reality in the most painful ways.
In contrast, the burgeoning romance between oft-prickly Rhea and the tender-hearted Morgan is by turns sweet, funny, and endearing. Unlike many books where a relationship seems forced, the coupling here progresses so organically it’s impossible not to find charming, and their lively back-and-forth banter provides the novel’s best dialogue. As the primary supporting character, Morgan is Rhea’s polar opposite: she’s confident, talented, caring, and descended from a close-knit, supportive family, but she’s also tough beyond all measure. Morgan saw the intolerable sides of Bert and Astrid first-hand, and believes Rhea’s tales of abuse when many wouldn’t have due to the Ballard’s demigod status. With her own past marred by the suspicious death of her ex—one of Cherub Cove’s favorite sons—Morgan became a source of turgid local gossip, and as a result suffered the same pariah-like alienation that befell Rhea.
When it comes to the supernatural side of the story, Hanifen pulls no punches. Any fan of detective fiction, ghost stories, or folklore won’t be disappointed by the intrigues in The Last Ballard. As the novel progresses its narrative builds upon the framework of classic Gothic literature (a centuries-old crumbling mansion, a decaying family with murderous secrets, madness, a distressed damsel plagued by spectral ills); indeed, Rhea even references Jane Eyre on several occasions. But there’s also a noticeable fairy tale aspect to The Last Ballard: like Rapunzel locked away in her tower, Rhea must throw off the shackles of her former self in order to find the new, prosperous future that’s within her grasp.
Filled with danger, humor, horror, and heart to spare, The Last Ballard is a superb novel, a stunning debut, and quite simply the best book I’ve yet reviewed in 2025. For those reasons and many more I feel compelled to bestow it the full 5 (out of 5) here on Goodreads. I can’t wait to see what spirits Hanifen conjures next.
June 7, 2025
Review: The Last Ballard by Kay Hanifen
Kay Hanifen’s The Last Ballard is a richly layered, slow-burning gothic horror that lingers long after the final page. It’s the kind of novel that doesn’t just ask you to read—it pulls you into its atmosphere, wraps you in shadow, and won’t let go until you’ve faced every ghost it has to offer.
Rhiannon “Rhea” Ballard is a striking lead—complex, guarded, and emotionally scarred in a way that feels painfully human. Her return to the decaying Ballard House after the death of her abusive grandparents isn’t a homecoming; it’s a reckoning. She’s not there to reconnect or rebuild. She’s there to end things. But what she finds waiting for her is more than dust and old grief—it’s something alive. Or something that was.
The novel works on multiple levels. As a character study, it’s intimate and unflinching. Rhea’s trauma is not treated like a trope—it’s deeply embedded in who she is, shaping how she moves through the world and how she reacts to the uncanny events around her. The way Hanifen intertwines Rhea’s psychological wounds with the literal haunting of the house is brilliant. The ghosts don’t just exist for jump scares or creepy ambiance—they echo, amplify, and sometimes clash with Rhea’s own haunted mind.
The supporting characters add real weight. Morgan Reyes, the enigmatic cook with secrets of her own, is a standout. Her chemistry with Rhea feels organic, messy, and tender—grounded in shared loneliness and resilience. Their romance never hijacks the plot but instead complements the emotional stakes. Andy Higgins, the groundskeeper who doesn’t believe in ghosts, injects just enough realism and skepticism to balance the tension. Together, this trio doesn’t just investigate the mystery—they survive it.
Tonally, The Last Ballard is pure gothic: grand old house, family secrets, repressed memories, and an atmosphere so thick you can almost taste it. But what makes it feel fresh is how grounded it is in contemporary emotional truth. The horror isn’t just in the creaking floors or spectral visions—it’s in the legacy of generational abuse, the pressure of inherited trauma, and the terrifying idea that leaving home doesn’t always mean you’ve escaped it.
Hanifen’s prose is clean and evocative, walking that tightrope between lyrical and sharp. She knows exactly when to hold back and when to hit hard. The pacing is deliberate but never dull, building dread and emotional depth in equal measure.
Fans of The Haunting of Hill House, The Silent Companions, or Rebecca will find a lot to love here. But The Last Ballard isn’t trying to mimic—it stands firmly on its own. It’s a ghost story with a pulse, a love story with scars, and a mystery with teeth.
By the end, Rhea’s journey feels earned. Not just the revelations or the spectral resolution, but the quiet strength it takes to face everything that haunts her—and live.
A standout debut and a haunting triumph. Huge thanks to Miravalle Books for the gifted copy—The Last Ballard is a chilling, beautiful read I won’t soon forget.
Kay Hanifen’s The Last Ballard is a richly layered, slow-burning gothic horror that lingers long after the final page. It’s the kind of novel that doesn’t just ask you to read—it pulls you into its atmosphere, wraps you in shadow, and won’t let go until you’ve faced every ghost it has to offer.
Rhiannon “Rhea” Ballard is a striking lead—complex, guarded, and emotionally scarred in a way that feels painfully human. Her return to the decaying Ballard House after the death of her abusive grandparents isn’t a homecoming; it’s a reckoning. She’s not there to reconnect or rebuild. She’s there to end things. But what she finds waiting for her is more than dust and old grief—it’s something alive. Or something that was.
The novel works on multiple levels. As a character study, it’s intimate and unflinching. Rhea’s trauma is not treated like a trope—it’s deeply embedded in who she is, shaping how she moves through the world and how she reacts to the uncanny events around her. The way Hanifen intertwines Rhea’s psychological wounds with the literal haunting of the house is brilliant. The ghosts don’t just exist for jump scares or creepy ambiance—they echo, amplify, and sometimes clash with Rhea’s own haunted mind.
The supporting characters add real weight. Morgan Reyes, the enigmatic cook with secrets of her own, is a standout. Her chemistry with Rhea feels organic, messy, and tender—grounded in shared loneliness and resilience. Their romance never hijacks the plot but instead complements the emotional stakes. Andy Higgins, the groundskeeper who doesn’t believe in ghosts, injects just enough realism and skepticism to balance the tension. Together, this trio doesn’t just investigate the mystery—they survive it.
Tonally, The Last Ballard is pure gothic: grand old house, family secrets, repressed memories, and an atmosphere so thick you can almost taste it. But what makes it feel fresh is how grounded it is in contemporary emotional truth. The horror isn’t just in the creaking floors or spectral visions—it’s in the legacy of generational abuse, the pressure of inherited trauma, and the terrifying idea that leaving home doesn’t always mean you’ve escaped it.
Hanifen’s prose is clean and evocative, walking that tightrope between lyrical and sharp. She knows exactly when to hold back and when to hit hard. The pacing is deliberate but never dull, building dread and emotional depth in equal measure.
Fans of The Haunting of Hill House, The Silent Companions, or Rebecca will find a lot to love here. But The Last Ballard isn’t trying to mimic—it stands firmly on its own. It’s a ghost story with a pulse, a love story with scars, and a mystery with teeth.
By the end, Rhea’s journey feels earned. Not just the revelations or the spectral resolution, but the quiet strength it takes to face everything that haunts her—and live.
A standout debut and a haunting triumph. Huge thanks to Miravalle Books for the gifted copy—The Last Ballard is a chilling, beautiful read I won’t soon forget.
May 28, 2025
Rhea returns to her childhood home after the deaths of her grandparents and gets more than she bargained for. Not only has she inherited their fortune, but also the family mansion rife with trauma and spirits. As she digs through her ancestors’ dirty laundry, Rhea begins to understand the price she must pay to put the house’s ghosts - and her own - to rest.
I have never, NE👏VER👏 read a book that portrays an adult victim of childhood trauma so accurately. The complex feelings Rhea has for her abusive grandparents are certainly not all good, but they’re not all bad either, and that makes coping with their abuse and their deaths so much harder. Not to mention that her upbringing has made her anxious, borderline hate herself, and believe she doesn’t deserve joy and love. I’ll refrain from trauma-dumping, but this book made me feel ✨SEEN✨. All on top of genuinely spooky ghost encounters (one of them is called the Smiling Lady, need I say more?), a heartwarming F/F romance, and a main character with a potent desire to make things right. This book is for readers who love haunted houses and mental health journeys, especially for fans of Bly Manor, Hill House (both the book and the show), and the Woman in Black.
I have never, NE👏VER👏 read a book that portrays an adult victim of childhood trauma so accurately. The complex feelings Rhea has for her abusive grandparents are certainly not all good, but they’re not all bad either, and that makes coping with their abuse and their deaths so much harder. Not to mention that her upbringing has made her anxious, borderline hate herself, and believe she doesn’t deserve joy and love. I’ll refrain from trauma-dumping, but this book made me feel ✨SEEN✨. All on top of genuinely spooky ghost encounters (one of them is called the Smiling Lady, need I say more?), a heartwarming F/F romance, and a main character with a potent desire to make things right. This book is for readers who love haunted houses and mental health journeys, especially for fans of Bly Manor, Hill House (both the book and the show), and the Woman in Black.
June 17, 2025
This is the first horror book I am reviewing on my page! After reading the description of this book, I was hooked. Rhea returns to her grandparents house for the first time in 6 years for their funeral. The gothic mansion is old and haunted, passed down through the family line, and has a ton of secrets. This story is told both in present time and through flashbacks of Rhea’s childhood, these flashbacks include glimpses of the abuse and neglect she dealt with at the hands of her grandparents. The amount of family secrets revealed is absolutely crazy! Definitely did not see the twists coming!
I devoured this book and was lucky enough to receive a physical ARC! Even though I primarily read romance and fantasy, horror has a special place in my heart. Growing up my dad and I bonded by watching horror movies together. This is my first dive into horror novels and I definitely need to read more in this category!
I devoured this book and was lucky enough to receive a physical ARC! Even though I primarily read romance and fantasy, horror has a special place in my heart. Growing up my dad and I bonded by watching horror movies together. This is my first dive into horror novels and I definitely need to read more in this category!
June 7, 2025
I very much enjoyed this book! our FMC went through some horrendous things growing up with her grandparents living in their gothic looking mansion. Physically and soooo much emotional trauma.. I believe quite a few people who read this will be able to relate on some level to the childhood trauma. In a way, to me, her writing helped you feel seen. It felt like slightly healing in the sense that what you go through does change parts of you and complicate other areas of your life in the future but doesn’t have to define us and it doesn’t mean everyone don’t deserve happiness.
I thought it was very well written and I cannot think of any instances where I got bored! Kept me intrigued from beginning to end!! Easy, fast read. I Loved the characters and the relationships that were formed!!
Also- Thoroughly enjoy finding books that I can’t read at night time because they spook me…🤣 The Last Ballard was that for me! Glad to have ran across this author and looking forward to more by her! Definitely recommend you read to find out what eerie secrets are lurking around!
I thought it was very well written and I cannot think of any instances where I got bored! Kept me intrigued from beginning to end!! Easy, fast read. I Loved the characters and the relationships that were formed!!
Also- Thoroughly enjoy finding books that I can’t read at night time because they spook me…🤣 The Last Ballard was that for me! Glad to have ran across this author and looking forward to more by her! Definitely recommend you read to find out what eerie secrets are lurking around!
June 25, 2025
I'm still haunted by it in the best possible way.
I've already seen Kay's ability to write (she's submitted stories to anthologies I've headed), but when I heard she was (finally) dropping her debut novel, I got beyond excited!
In 'The Last Ballard' I was impressed by how Hanifen creates characters—especially Rhea—who feel utterly real, flawed and complex in ways that make you forget you're reading fiction. There's something deeply unsettling yet beautiful about the gothic atmosphere she weaves throughout, like walking through a house where the walls hold too many secrets.
But perhaps what resonates most is the unflinching look at family dysfunction and how generational trauma can affect not only the characters in a story, but also its readers (if you know, you know). Those moments of recognition where you think, "Oh, I know this feeling," even when the circumstances are entirely different from your own life. Hanifen captures that particular kind of damage that gets passed down through generations, the way love and harm can exist in the same space.
I can't wait to see what she has in store next!
I've already seen Kay's ability to write (she's submitted stories to anthologies I've headed), but when I heard she was (finally) dropping her debut novel, I got beyond excited!
In 'The Last Ballard' I was impressed by how Hanifen creates characters—especially Rhea—who feel utterly real, flawed and complex in ways that make you forget you're reading fiction. There's something deeply unsettling yet beautiful about the gothic atmosphere she weaves throughout, like walking through a house where the walls hold too many secrets.
But perhaps what resonates most is the unflinching look at family dysfunction and how generational trauma can affect not only the characters in a story, but also its readers (if you know, you know). Those moments of recognition where you think, "Oh, I know this feeling," even when the circumstances are entirely different from your own life. Hanifen captures that particular kind of damage that gets passed down through generations, the way love and harm can exist in the same space.
I can't wait to see what she has in store next!
April 23, 2025
Rhea is such a compelling and relatable character. Her return to Ballard House brings up more than just memories—it awakens something dark. The slow-burn horror, laced with grief and supernatural tension, reminded me so much of The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor.
Add in a naturally developed queer romance, ghostly encounters, and rich gothic vibes, and this book just works. Beautifully written, eerie, and emotionally resonant—The Last Ballard delivers on every level.
Add in a naturally developed queer romance, ghostly encounters, and rich gothic vibes, and this book just works. Beautifully written, eerie, and emotionally resonant—The Last Ballard delivers on every level.
October 29, 2025
4 ⭐️book . This book had a good storyline . If your into ghost and spirits and conspiracy, this book is for you .
August 20, 2025
The Last Ballard by Kay Hanifen is a chilling, suspenseful, and heartbreakingly beautiful tale of love, loss, and the ghosts that haunt us. It gave me The Haunting of Hill House vibes in the best way.
After the death of her estranged grandparents, Rhea Ballard returns to the family estate, Ballard House, to settle their affairs and finally put her abusive childhood behind her. Unfortunately for Rhea, Ballard House is haunted both literally and figuratively.
The story that unfolds is gripping, terrifying, and ultimately heartbreaking. Hanifen’s writing is clean and evocative. She creates an eerie, oppressive atmosphere throughout the book, making you feel as if you are right there with Rhea within the cursed walls of Ballard House. The horror element is also well done with enough creepiness and outright scares to keep you appropriately on edge.
With The Last Ballard, Kay Hanifen has crafted a tale that is not only dripping in gothic horror but also an exploration of love, loss, and childhood trauma. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Thank you to Kay Hanifen and Miravalle Books for the gifted PR package.
After the death of her estranged grandparents, Rhea Ballard returns to the family estate, Ballard House, to settle their affairs and finally put her abusive childhood behind her. Unfortunately for Rhea, Ballard House is haunted both literally and figuratively.
The story that unfolds is gripping, terrifying, and ultimately heartbreaking. Hanifen’s writing is clean and evocative. She creates an eerie, oppressive atmosphere throughout the book, making you feel as if you are right there with Rhea within the cursed walls of Ballard House. The horror element is also well done with enough creepiness and outright scares to keep you appropriately on edge.
With The Last Ballard, Kay Hanifen has crafted a tale that is not only dripping in gothic horror but also an exploration of love, loss, and childhood trauma. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Thank you to Kay Hanifen and Miravalle Books for the gifted PR package.
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November 28, 2025I'm not going to repeat the blurb here, nor give too much more about what the book is about because part of the experience of this... wild ride was discovering everything as I went along.
The gothic horror vibe is real with this one. From the traditional, 'old money, family secrets,' to the old, haunted, but stunningly beautiful house.
And the hauntings? Not only well done but fleshed out so they were coming at our characters from all angles. It wasn't simply a bump in the night with this house.
The characters themselves were all full of so many layers I found my opinion on them changing back and forth constantly. (Except Andy he was my love from day one) And that is something exciting to see in a story. There was nobody who fell flat or needed more.
The queer rep too was well done and one of the characters (I won't spoil who) was a delight to find out because I feel you don't get it very often.
The story was heartbreaking on so many levels. Both supernatural and man made horrors alike.
And the, 'villians?' They fell into three groups.
1. Heartbreaking and, 'Yeah I get it.'
2. 'Oh you're evil, but in a fun way that I don't want to admit to enjoying.'
3. You're awful and I hope you die immediately and slowly.
Overall I absolutely loved this story and cannot wait to read more from this author.
The gothic horror vibe is real with this one. From the traditional, 'old money, family secrets,' to the old, haunted, but stunningly beautiful house.
And the hauntings? Not only well done but fleshed out so they were coming at our characters from all angles. It wasn't simply a bump in the night with this house.
The characters themselves were all full of so many layers I found my opinion on them changing back and forth constantly. (Except Andy he was my love from day one) And that is something exciting to see in a story. There was nobody who fell flat or needed more.
The queer rep too was well done and one of the characters (I won't spoil who) was a delight to find out because I feel you don't get it very often.
The story was heartbreaking on so many levels. Both supernatural and man made horrors alike.
And the, 'villians?' They fell into three groups.
1. Heartbreaking and, 'Yeah I get it.'
2. 'Oh you're evil, but in a fun way that I don't want to admit to enjoying.'
3. You're awful and I hope you die immediately and slowly.
Overall I absolutely loved this story and cannot wait to read more from this author.
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