Darkest at Dusk

Revenant Roses #1

by Eve Silver

Isabella Barrett sees ghosts. But the dead aren’t the only ones watching her.

Left penniless and alone after her father’s sudden death, Isabella accepts a position at Harrowgate Manor, an isolated estate shrouded in secrets and sorrow. Whispers stalk the halls. Icy fingers graze her skin. And shadowed figures watch her from the dark. The spirits want something from her—and their intentions are growing darker.

Her new employer, the enigmatic Rhys Caradoc, is a man forged of silence and secrets. He claims to need her help cataloguing his rare book collection, but Isabella soon realizes he knows far more about her gift—and her past—than he should.

As the line between the living and the dead begins to blur, and Harrowgate’s buried horrors claw their way to the surface, Isabella must decide if Rhys is her protector… or something far more dangerous.

For readers who crave haunted manors, brooding heroes, slow-burn desire, and chilling ghostly mysteries, this standalone historical gothic romance will leave you breathless.

Genres: Gothic, Romance, Paranormal, Horror, Historical, Fiction, Mystery

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 23, 2025

About the author

National bestselling author Eve Silver has been praised for her "edgy, steamy, action-packed" books, darkly sexy heroes and take-charge heroines. Her work won the OLA Forest of Reading White Pine Award 2015, was shortlisted for the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy 2014, was listed as a 2013 American Bookseller's Association Best Book for Children and a Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens. She has garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Quill and Quire, two RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards, Library Journal's Best Genre Fiction Award, and she was nominated for the Romance Writers of America® RITA® Award.

Eve lives with her husband and two exuberant border collie/Australian shepherds.

Contact Eve through her website at http://www.evesilver.net

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so happy to be living in this historical gothic romance revival in indie publishing. Give me more haunted houses, brooding men with dark secrets, and heroines who are out to solve a mystery. Thanks to Eve Silver for the complimentary copy of Darkest at Dusk.

Isabella Barrett has been able to see wraiths for as long as she can remember. They’ve always been there, but her father made her swear to pretend as if they weren’t to keep her safe from what passed for mental health treatment in the late Victorian period. But when her father dies, leaving her penniless, Isabella needs to find employment. The only offer on the table comes from Rhys Caradoc. He wants to hire Isabella to catalogue his library at his estate of Harrowgate, but that’s only a pretense to get her to his house. Rhys can also see wraiths, and he needs Isabella—and the fragment of a book her father refused to sell him—to deal with a malevolent spirit in his home. But he can’t come right out and tell her that, so he manipulates the situation, not realizing that there is much more to his connection with Isabella than he ever imagined.

I am so simple. Give me a haunted house and a tortured man and I am going to be happy. I really don’t ask for much. If you can throw in some solid sentence-level craft and a couple of sex scenes, I’ll probably really enjoy the book.

Eve Silver did a great job of building the tension over the course of this book. We don’t start with Isabella’s father’s death. We start weeks before, when she first sees Rhys but doesn’t understand who he is or what he wants. It takes close to a third of the book for Isabella to ever reach Harrowgate. By that point, we understand that she has no other option besides working for Rhys. She can’t get a job elsewhere because she has no formal work experience, her father isolated her because of her abilities so she has no offers of marriage on the table, and she was left with only 30 pounds a year—not even enough for a year of rent on her family’s house in London. She is up against a wall, and Harrowgate is her only choice, so she has to make the best of it.

I found the gothic and paranormal elements to be truly creepy. Harrowgate is definitely haunted, but the way that manifests is just an amplified version of the way old homes make noise. It almost gaslights the staff in the house into thinking nothing could possibly be wrong, while the evidence that something is amiss is right in front of their faces. Whenever a gothic can lean into the realism of the setting, I am on board.

Darkest at Dusk is dual POV, but we spend most of the book with Isabella. I think this was an interesting choice from the perspective of the paranormal storyline, but I also think the romance would have been stronger had we spent more time with Rhys. The two main characters are not on page together all that much—very much in the style of the classic gothic romance—but I wanted a little more from Rhys as we went from him straight-up manipulating Isabella to get what he needed to him being all in on her. More time in his head would have given us that before their confessions of feelings. I also do not believe this man went down while Isabella did, and that’s a cardinal sin in my book. For every blowjob on page, a man needs to eat twice. I don’t make the rules; that’s just how romance works.

Overall, I really enjoyed myself and would definitely read another book by this author. 4 stars.

[Hearteater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this book caught me off-guard in the very best way.

I haven’t reached for anything paranormal in a long time because I feel like it always involves communicating with ghosts, but I decided to try this one anyway because I was in the mood for a romance with a gothic, dreary background, and this definitely delivered. I don’t know why I haven’t sought out more gothic romance because I have been missing out…but I’ve already got several more queued up.

TLDR, this was a really good slow burn gothic romance with likable characters, mystery, very light horror elements and a healthy dose of dread, a loooooot of longing and pining, with a very happy ending. There is no cliffhanger and from what I've read, this is a standalone story, despite it being part of the new "Revenant Roses" series. It was very Crimson Peaks, minus the gross brother/sister stuff (thank goodness) and the fast marriage.

This review will have FULL SPOILERS in the hidden section below, just FYI.

Darkest at Dusk is set in late 1800s England. We follow Isabella and Rhys, two people who see ghosts, though they have very different backgrounds. Isabella has been mostly sequestered throughout her life due to her unusual ability, told by her antiquarian father to not let anyone know what she can see for fear of her being locked in an asylum (which we get a small taste of in the opening chapter). So, she grows up in London with only her dad, his colleagues/friends, and the ghosts as company, as her mother passed away during her birth. While ghosts do surround her, they aren’t corporeal and can’t affect things in real life. Isa is intelligent, reliable, caring, diligent, thoughtful, if a bit muted, though that’s understandable. Her two favorite things seem to be her father and repairing books, though it’s mostly because she doesn’t know much else. We then meet Rhys, introduced as a mysterious potential antagonist who is attempting to insert himself into Isa’s life, despite her father’s protests. He has a shadowed, traumatic past that drives him somewhat obsessively toward a single goal, which we discover he needs Isa to accomplish, though we don’t know the details until later. Thanks to some tragic events that transpire, she finds herself somewhat forced to accept an offer of employment from him, moving to his huge manor near Maidenhead to live and work. Around here, we find out Rhys was an inmate at St. Jude’s asylum, the same one Isa briefly visited with her dad in the beginning. Harrowgate Manor is a bit dreary and quiet, one part of it burned down due to a mysterious past event no one really wants to discuss but we eventually learn about. We meet his small staff, a loveable cast of characters that all seem to have been saved by Rhys, being either orphans or people that had nowhere to go and so were taken in by him; they all think highly of him, contradicting the poor opinion the local villagers (and he himself) have of him. For the first time in her life, Isa gets to be part of a group of friends/equals, something she never had the chance to experience before, which helps her bloom a bit. It’s endearing to experience that with her and to see it through Rhys’s POV chapters as well. She finds out quickly that his home does not have visible ghosts hanging around, unlike most other places she’s been, and instead only seems to have one unique wraith in the form of a young girl that can actually interact with the world, presenting a tangible threat that hangs over her and the others as the story progresses. We find out that Rhys has brought her there to help free the spirits of his late family: his mother, father, and two brothers, all somehow connected by the wraith. He needs the other half of a grimoire her father passed to her to cast some spell to banish the wraith. We also find out that the wraith is his psycho young cousin Catrin, who killed his entire family and now torments their spirits and everyone else in the house; we also discover that Rhys killed her, after finding out she murdered his father and the rest of his family, by locking her in a room that had begun to burn, resulting in that entire portion of the manor going up in flames. Along the way, we get some slow burn romance between Isa and Rhys, eventually blooming into a romance that is really sweet to experience, giving us two spicy scenes that are just explicit enough but really tastefully done. Rhys sees himself as a villain but is actually a good man, dedicating his life to saving his departed loved ones. Isa eventually uncovers the entire story from Rhys and willingly volunteers to participate in the ritual, despite the dangers it will present to her. After nearly dying during it, they come out alive and with the wraith banished from the house, and now they can even control their ability to see ghosts, so they aren’t always harassed by them. There’s a really sweet ending prologue where we find out they married off-page and are now remodeling the burned portion of the house (something they couldn’t do while Catrin was there haunting it). He’s showering her with gifts and surprises her with plans to visit Paris, somewhere she’s always dreamed of going. It’s a really wholesome ending that left a big smile on my face.

Aaaaaanyway, this book has earned a place on my (sometimes questionable) favorites shelf and will definitely be re-read again sometime. I’m excited to have a hardback copy with this beautiful cover! I’ve already got some more gothic romance books queued up, too – I definitely want more. My one gripe about this book is that there is no continuation of their story, but I guess it didn’t really need it.

[Kriste ☾Papartis ir knyga☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhh koks geras , lėtas gotikinis pasakojimas 😍🔥

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, this book started out great. I loved the gothic ambiance and Isabella and Rhys were very interesting and the angst was great. Was on the way to a 4/5 star. Then I realized at 60% of the way through that there was still a LOT of story to get through in only a little book left. The pacing in the beginning was designed for a MUCH longer book. Then suddenly they were in love and all the answers were already there just waiting for .... them to get around to it?? There was NOTHING stopping her from opening the trunk and Rhys trying to "get her to find out on her own" thing was so unbelievable, no one does that. Just talk like adults 🙄 idk I thought the romance was growing great and then I just got taken out by the time Rhys sent her on the convoluted information gathering trip in town. The villain just didn't deliver like it should and I wasn't excited when it was over. It didn't make sense to me 🤷🏽‍♀️

[DarkStar's Book Cavern · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is incredibly atmospheric and very gothic in every sense of the word. Isabella is a very interesting character, she is our main POV and you really get the sense of her inner strength. Rhys is a perfect mystery – brooding, foreboding, dark. With a voice that sounds “like brandy poured over gravel”. Rhys keeps telling the reader that he isn’t the hero – he is the villain in every sense of the word. And because this is a dual POV we get to see his viewpoint and everything he does is to manipulate Isabella into having absolutely no choice but to go to his house and take up his employment offer.

I was really enjoying this, it was taking me on a merry dark, ghostly journey. However, I cannot forgive just shoving a couple of graphic sex scenes in that helped the plot in no way, shape or form. Isabella and Rhys already had a chemistry that was off the charts and that was without physical touching. She would be doing a task and he would walk in the room and the hairs on the back of her neck would react. That is what I want, that is the period consistency that this was going for. There was no need to shove a graphic sex scene in there! The ending was far too rushed in comparison to the rest of the book, just take the time and write it out.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. YouTube Review: https://youtu.be/dX6_wMXdAXk

[sniksnak · Rating 3 out of 5]

The gothic romance genre, especially featuring the paranormal, is NOT my cup of tea. The only reason I read this one is because the paperback had been left at the cancer center and I picked it up to kill time during my weekly treatment. I had left my iPhone in the locker when I put on my gown so I didn’t have access to my Kindle books. I have an irritating habit of plowing through an unlikable (IMO) book once I start it simply because I keep thinking it will get better. I know, I know, but I can’t help myself. It’s irritating even to me.
REVIEW: After the death of Isabella’s father, she is left alone and penniless. Desperate to support herself, she becomes an antiquarian for the brooding Rhys at his sprawling, isolated, creepy manor. There are numerous unexplained deaths and tragic, chilling occurrences. She has encounters with apparitions, ghosts and heavy oppression, and hears things that go bump in the night. Again, not my thing but this book’s prose flows beautifully with such an engaging plot that it kept me intrigued until the end.

[Kyla Sixkiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkest at Dusk is incredibly atmospheric, the kind of gothic that settles into your bones. From the very beginning, the mood is thick and shadowed, and Isabella’s voice pulls you straight into it. She is such an interesting heroine. Her strength is quiet but unmistakable, and because we follow her point of view so closely, you feel every moment of her determination as she steps into this eerie world.

Rhys is the perfect mystery. Brooding, foreboding, dark in a way that feels both dangerous and magnetic. His voice is described as sounding like brandy poured over gravel, and that is exactly how he comes across. He keeps insisting he is not the hero, that he is the villain in every sense, and because we get his point of view as well, we see how calculated he is. Every move he makes is designed to leave Isabella with no real choice except to come to his manor and accept his offer of employment. It should make him unlikable, but instead it makes him fascinating.

The author is a gifted storyteller, and she reveals Isabella’s strength piece by piece as Isabella navigates the strange and unsettling manor. The relationship between Isabella and Rhys grows in a way that feels layered and believable. His point of view balances hers and gives weight to every interaction. Even though he manipulates the situation to bring her to him, his compassion and respect for her come through clearly. His desire for her trust grounds the frightening events happening around them and keeps the story anchored in something deeply human.

I also loved Isabella’s allies in the house. Mrs. Abernathy, the housekeeper, and Peg, the young maid, bring warmth and loyalty into a setting filled with odd noises, strange shadows, and things that never seem to sit quite right. Their presence gives Isabella a sense of stability, and I appreciated that she did not have to face every unsettling moment alone.

The plot surprised me in the best way. I thought I had it figured out, and I was completely wrong. The ending was incredibly satisfying. It managed to be dark, emotional, and hopeful all at once. The blend of ghost story, historical romance, and psychological suspense worked beautifully.

The audiobook narration elevated everything. Carmen Rose brought such vulnerability and quiet strength to Isabella. Her voice carried the loneliness, the uncertainty, and the resilience that define Isabella’s journey. The softer moments felt intimate, and the tense moments felt sharp and real. When the story dipped into the darker scenes, her breathing and tone made my heart race.

Tim Campbell was the perfect match for Rhys. His voice had that controlled, guarded intensity that a gothic hero needs. You could feel the emotion simmering underneath even when he tried to hide it. When the romance began to unfold, his delivery made it feel earned and genuine. Nothing felt exaggerated. It felt honest.

Together, their performances made the manor feel alive. The hallways felt colder. The ghostly elements felt closer. The emotional beats hit harder. The slow burn romance felt deeper because you could hear the hesitation, the longing, and the fear of wanting something too much.

What stood out the most was how cinematic the entire experience felt. The pacing, the tone shifts, the quiet tension building in the background, all of it created the feeling of watching a gothic film inside my mind. Every reveal landed with more weight. The ending especially felt even stronger in audio, and the emotional resonance lingered long after it was over.

This audiobook turned an already beautiful gothic tale into something immersive and unforgettable. It felt atmospheric, emotional, intimate, and real.

[Dcw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a long-time fan of this author and have her complete Dark Gothic series. This book does not disappoint and exceeds even her previous gothic writings. Isabella is the daughter of a book collector. She admitted early in her life that she is aware of “other”. However, her father wanted to protect her and strongly advised her to not act on her encounters with otherworldly beings. She carried his warning to her adult life and believed she was doing well to try to be as normal as possible. Rys Caradoc had approached Isabella’s father with a request for his daughter’s assistance but her father strongly felt the need to protect his daughter and refused the entreaties of Caradoc. With her father’s passing, Rys Caradoc saw another opportunity to enlist Isabella’s aid in his quest. Caradoc has purchased Isabella’s father’s much valued book collection and invites her to catalog them for him. She travels to his home and begins to encounter many unexplainable things. I’ve shared enough to hopefully invite readers to enjoy this wonderful novel.

[CraCraOverBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved

So I'm trying new genres and new authors this year. I stumbled across this book, and I'm addicted. I love anything in 17/1800's england, and mix it with gothic and romance, its perfect and this author did it. there are some typo errors, but I'm here for the story not for flaws. I can't possibly understand why this book doesn't have more reviews.

You will fall in love with Rys and Isabella, this is an insta attraction , with a slow burn romance. With both having a tragic past, you really want there to be more, simply because they deserve it.

this is one of those books, you definitely will revisit, simply cause you can't stop thinking about it. I will be daring and say one of my top 3 books of this year, simply cause I think it's gonna be hard to top this book.

[LoveMyAuthors · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really missed Eve Silver's gothic stories.

Darkest at Dusk was eerie and chilling...not really horror, but if apparitions and ghosts doing bad deeds are not your thing, you might want to take a pass on this one. For me, it had just enough surrounding storyline to keep me engaged. While it's slow going at the beginning, I could almost forgive that when the MMC finally told his backstory. You will certainly need to practice patience to get to the big reveal and once there the climax will hold you breathless. Enjoy!

Honestly, I love a good slow burn, but for you romance readers, be warned the romance will not be the central focus of this one 😉

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love a man who believes himself to be awful and then would give the world to his partner.

you know it's good when I'm rooting for a straight couple.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine spooky story. I really liked the descriptions in this book. It was interesting and spooky until about 80%, and then unfortunately lost it for me.
This is right after a very cool scene too. So I was a little bummed the writing changed so much to really shoehorn in a romance. I think it should have been favored a bit more previously to keep it from feeling so alien and sudden. They spent so little time together, spend a single night together, and BAM! They're deeply in love? They know almost nothing about each other.
The ending did nothing for me, and I felt it also came too sudden and with too little conflict.
A bit of editing would really help also. There are times we switch character prospectives randomly in scenes. Or we know exactly what the other person is feeling when we should not. There is also some repetitive writing that bothered me a bit.

[Kim Schneeberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent fast paced Gothic romance. Would definitely read more books by this author.

[Chanda Cathey · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good

enjoy this book of second sight. I anxiously waiting for the next one. it’s spooky and entertaining, love the story.

[ellebee.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🕯️ This one felt like wandering into a house that already knows your secrets.

This is gothic romance at its most immersive. Quiet, eerie, and full of tension that builds slowly until you realize you are completely pulled in.

There is such a strong sense of isolation here. You can feel it in every corner of the manor and in Isabella’s experience as everything around her begins to close in. It creates this constant, lingering unease that never fully lets go.

And then there is Rhys. Reserved, complicated, and impossible to fully read. The connection between them is all slow tension and unspoken emotion, which makes every moment feel heavier.

✨ Tropes ✨
🏰 Haunted manor
🖤 Broody, secretive hero
💋 Slow burn tension
👁️ Heroine with a hidden gift

Perfect for when you want something atmospheric, emotional, and quietly haunting.

[Elizabeth Hegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I overall enjoyed this book. It’s my first gothic horror and it was very interesting! The visuals were mostly decent, I enjoyed the characters, and I thought it was a fun read. I found the climax to be pretty difficult to envision though, and also feel like the premise isn’t overly original. I also could have gone without the two graphic sex scenes. With this said, I understand some people love that stuff, so it’s more personal choice. And tbh, I didn’t mind the first one since it felt relevant to bringing Isabella and Rhys together, but the second one felt like it came out of nowhere lol. Overall, I think I’d give this a 3.5 star!

[⊹₊⟡⋆Mandy Darling⊹₊⟡⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point, it’s safe to say that I will absolutely CONSUME any Victorian gothic romance books that Eve Silver writes. I was so excited to see she released a new one, and I’m happy to say it was INCREDIBLE! Can’t wait to read more from this series!

[Pamela Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a ghostly tale told by a story-teller who has mastered the gothic genre and this time, added a good dose of horror. But there's a romance, so there is a happy ending. But don't read it in bed, as I did, if you've a tendency to have nightmares.

[Bok Choy Nomad (Cat-Dan) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Darkest at Dusk by Eve Silver

Given we just passed the spooky season here (in Canada) and I wanted a different palate cleanser, I decided to give ‘Darkest by Dusk’ a try. It is also my first time reading author Eve Silver, and I must say, I was very impressed (and suitably chilled, in a good way)!

As promised, this haunting tale set during the Victorian era begins with FMC, Isabella Barett and her father visiting an institute for what we would term ‘mental health’ now when she’s a child. Isabella has the ability to see the ghostly realm, and her father trains her to never reveal this after he is appalled by the institution’s conditions. When she becomes older and is left in poverty and all alone after her father’s death, she has little choice, but to accept an offer of employment at Harrowgate Manor after the MMC, Rhys Caradoc, lines everything up so she can live and work there cataloguing his rare library.

The author is an excellent storyteller and deftly reveals Isabella’s strength as she navigates the eerie and foreboding manor. I felt Isabella’s and Rhys’ encounters and growing relationship was well layered and believable, especially as we were privy to his point of view throughout, which balanced the narration thoroughly. In spite of his machinations to get her to his manor, his compassion, respect and desire for her to trust him came through and this grounded the frightening events surrounding them.

“Partners. From his lips it was not courtesy but conviction, the scandalous belief that she stood beside him, not behind.”

Likewise, I really liked how Isabella had strong allies in the housekeeper, Mrs Abernathy, and the young maid, Peg, whose loyalty provided a grounding presence against the odd sounds and things happening around them. Not knowing what to expect, I was glad Isabella didn’t have to keep battling everything on her own.

The only parts I didn’t enjoy were when I had to admittedly speed read past several descriptions of the evil character because they were intense and a tad too graphic (disclaimer: I’m not a horror fan whatsoever, but still managed to survive). Also, I’m all for romance and spice when done well, however, I did feel it was a bit odd that they would prioritize this aspect a second time during the climax (pun unintended). This somehow took away from their vibrant and established soul connection and the overarching storyline’s finale somehow for me.

Overall, this was an excellent story, and I give it a full 4 stars and recommend if you enjoy or would like to try out a well-written gothic romance with balanced characters in a tale to keep you up at night!

P.S. I am grateful to BookSirens for giving me an advanced reader’s copy of this story for which I am voluntarily writing this honest review.

P.S. 2: If you liked this, then please check out my other book reviews of stories about strong women and their handsome sidekicks!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Booksprout for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

I almost gave up on this in the beginning, not because of the story, but because my mood was in a dark place because of some personal stuff and I did not think reading something dark and gothic would actually help. I was wrong... this is a haunting, dark, gothic story that actually was exactly what I needed because it drew me in and consumed my attention when I needed to escape reality.

This was a richly woven tale about a young woman kept isolated by her visions and her overly protective father. We are given a brief glimpse of what Isabella and her father when she was a child, and what he sought to protect her from. Then to an adult Isabella, a grown woman who has been kept in protective isolation for years by her father, but faces a new reality without him. She is in a dangerous and fragile state, with no protection, no other family or friends, and no income, and limited prospects being a woman in Victorian England. Her only path appears to be to take on a position to catalogue the library at Harrowgate Manor, owned by Rhys Caradoc.

Except his motives are suspect, especially as Isabella is aware that her father had rejected Mr. Caradoc and his entreaties previously, and had a pronounced distrust and dislike of the man. But what choice does Isabella have, when there are no other prospects for her, and she has nothing to live on, not even her father's collection of antique books, most of which were sold, it turns out, to the enigmatic Rhys Caradoc.

Rhys and Harrowgate Manor have a dark and sinister past, that has witness much sorrow and loss, and he seeks to eliminate the remaining wraiths haunting him and his home, but finds that in order to do so, Isabella and her father's books may be the keys he needs. He whets her curiosity and intrigue by baiting lures, but finds his purpose muddled by a growing attraction to Isabella.

Richly laid out dark, gothic story about a haunted house and family with a sinister past bleeding into the present. Isabella is caught between her growing attraction, desire, and trust for Rhys, and her father's protective teachings in the past to hide her abilities, and to protect herself. But while unless the haunting presence at Harrowgate faced, Rhys cannot be freed from the past, and he, Isabella, and those who remain face growing danger.

Deliciously spine tingling, with an underlying slightly steamy romance.

4.5 stars out of 5

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ Rating: 5/5 ⭐
📝 Short Summary

When a young woman arrives at a remote estate shrouded in mystery, she finds herself surrounded by secrets, spirits, and a brooding man with a past of his own. As the haunting presence in the house grows stronger, danger closes in and love and terror begin to intertwine in the shadows.

💭 Full Review:

WOW. This book completely took me by surprise in the BEST way. I expected a gothic ghost story (which I LOVE), but I got so much more: haunting atmosphere, slow burn romance, emotional depth, and twists that had me glued to the pages. This is the kind of historical fiction that reminds me why I love the genre.

The setting was PERFECT. A lonely estate, eerie hallways, whispers in the dark… the classic haunted house vibes were immaculate. Eve Silver knows how to build tension without rushing, and every chapter felt cinematic and chilling. The ghost elements were genuinely creepy but also meaningful, tied deeply into the characters’ trauma and the house’s secrets.

And the romance? SLOW. BURN. PERFECTION.
The sheltered heroine + brooding hero dynamic gave me full on gothic romance joy. Their chemistry was emotional, tense, and believable no insta love, just beautifully built connection. By the time things unfolded between them, I was fully invested.

The plot surprised me in the best way. I thought I had it figured out (I was wrong!), and the ending was SO satisfying. Dark, emotional, and hopeful all at once. This author blended ghost story + historical romance + psychological suspense flawlessly.

I loved this so much I will 100% be purchasing a physical copy and recommending it to anyone who loves gothic fiction. This is a new favorite!

✨ Favorite Element:

The ending. It was haunting, emotional, and absolutely worth the build-up.

🧠 Trigger Warnings:

Isolation

Gaslighting

Death

Murder

Grief

Emotional manipulation

✅ Would I Recommend?

YES, YES, YES.
If you love gothic historical fiction with ghosts, slow-burn romance, and a brooding hero… this is a MUST READ.

🎭 Tropes / Genre Tags:

Haunted House

Slow-Burn Romance

Brooding Hero

Sheltered Heroine

Gothic Fiction

Historical Romance

Ghost Story

Atmospheric & Emotional

🙏 Thank You:

Thank you so much to BookSirens and Eve Silver for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book so much I’ll be purchasing a finished copy!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing this author is very good at is setting a scene, and in this book the house itself felt alive. But plot and action tend to remain a weakness of hers (I think this is the 3rd book I've gotten sucked into). The book kind of stalled at several points in the narrative. It stalled so much about 70% that I put the book down and read two other books. And it's weird because things were happening but just kind of slowly and some scenes didn't push that narrative as much one might expect. Example: the whole going to town and seeing the two gossipy sisters again. Nothing said there was anything different than what we already knew except with maybe on additional detail. That wouldn't have been so bad but so much was made of this scene before she went (Rhys thought about, Isabella thought about it, Rhys and the housekeeper talked about it) and it just didn't carry any weight.

Rhys lying to her by omission really wasn't that big of a deal and honestly not sure why he was so afraid to just be straight with her from the beginning (except that it was a plot device to unravel the mystery).

Like others, I felt the relationship went too fast. All this anticipation and then a kiss, and then they're in bed and then they're in love and now on to the climactic conclusion -- that wasn't climactic at all. It too, felt rushed. And no real explanation as to how everything was involved. So much was made of this book and once they put the two pieces together it just worked on its own? They didn't need to have any clue how to use it? They literally put the two halves together, the book fuses, ghosts appear, including the evil cousin and Isabella struggles in pain and Rhys screams her name a lot. And the ghosts become a little clearer and then leave and all is good. What happened? How did she beat the evil cousin? What did Rhys do besides hold her hands and scream lot?

Despite my issues, this is still one of the better writers of Gothic romance. I just wish she could carry the same momentum from the beginning to the rest of the book and not rush to the end.

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start by saying that this isn't for me. There have been recent discussions about why so many women enjoy MM romance, my usual genre. After seeing the articulation and reading this it's not difficult to see that emotional labour is where this falls over. While it desperately wants to put Isabella outside the gothic FMC mould, it doesn’t get there. She just feels stereotypical, but frustrating. Rhys is also in that gothic gruff, brooding and sort of charming way. We are once again left with an intelligent woman left with nothing after the death of a provider, given a problematic option with strings and a brooding, largely uncommunicative man… whom she catches feelings for on a questionably fast timescale. Isabella does all the emotional lifting, and there is not even a passing thought of his taking THE risks.

I didn't dislike the plot and supporting cast. I liked the lore that was used to build the paranormal elements of the world and the brutal use of St. Jude's (a fictional psychiatric hospital). The plot is simple enough: use the father's texts to cleanse the spooky mansion of ghosts. While it is mostly Rhys and Isabella, the plot is helped along by Peg, a young maid and Mrs Abernathy, the housekeeper. It's a compact story, and that does make it effective.

Carmen Rose does a very good job as Isabella. The pacing of her presentation, in particular, is intriguing, but it could be very off-putting to some. It took some time for me to adjust to it, I can't really explain it aside from saying that it is sounds almost like a trot? I can't write the pattern in such a way that it will make sense. But it doesn’t feel lyrical. Tim Campbell is a performer I've encountered before while listening to audiobooks. He does restrained passion well, as shown here. The determination, pain and secretiveness that make Rhys’s core character come across well. Their tones work so well together.

I want to thank Eve Silver for her ARC audio edition in exchange for an honest review. (I’m sorry it took me longer than I would have liked)

[Faerierealm1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story felt very much like a classic historical romance, with familiar writing and a steady pace. Personally, I would have enjoyed a little more prose and emotional 'ruffle,' but the overall plot was engaging and I really liked the core idea of the story-line. The gothic and paranormal elements worked well, and the haunted manor atmosphere was genuinely creepy without going over the top. While some overly long descriptive sections of the wraiths dragged for me, they didn't stop me from enjoying the book as a whole.

The characters fit well within the genre, which isn't a bad thing at all. Isabella was a highlight for me; sweet, kind, and charming, yet quietly strong when it mattered most. Rhys came across as a gentleman with secrets, and while I expected those secrets to be darker, they weren't revealed in the way I thought they would be, so a plus. This is where the story fell a little short for me, as I'm a big fan of dual POV and felt Rhys didn't get quite enough page time. I wanted more of his inner thoughts, more slow-burn tension, and more shared scenes to deepen the emotional connection. Slow-burn with more presence.

That said, I still enjoyed the story and found it well worth the read. The pacing stumbled in places, and the ending involving Catrin didn't feel as dramatic as I'd hoped, but none of that put me off completely. Overall, it was an enjoyable gothic romance, and the issues I had didn't stop me from wanting more. I would happily read another book by Eva Silver, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for what she releases next.

I received an ARC, and this review reflects my honest and freely given opinion.

[Connie Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give me a haunted house, a bunch of wandering ghost and a woman who’s curious and a bit fed up with all of this happening, and I am ready to read.

The atmosphere of this book is amazing. The author captures the eerie feeling that sets around Harrowgate Manor. Even before the reader is given any insight into the strange activities, the Manor just breathes an air of strangeness. Once you learn of the burnt wing no one enters, the alarming secession of deaths in the Manor’s history, and the violent spirit that wanders the halls, well that eerie atmosphere only grows more dark and foreboding.

The characters were a real enjoyment. Not only is Isabella and Rhy’s dynamic integrating and endearing, but Isabella’s relationships with the rest of the staff is rather sweet. I loved how quickly and easily these women brought her into the household and helped to make her comfortable. And I loved how devoted Rhy’s became to her – it felt a little rushed, how quickly it happened, but with the secret shared between them and what they end up having to face, I can understand why the sparks burned so quickly.

The story is rather straight forward – with a well paced introduction and a climax that had me turning the pages in rapid speed. I highly recommend reading this book to discover for yourself, the mystery surrounding Harrowgate Manor. If haunted houses, angry ghosts, Victorian era vibes, and a deadly mystery peaks your interest, I encourage the read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read historical gothic romances. But I have read books this author wrote several years ago, the Northern Waste series. Those were post-apocalyptic romances, quite different from this genre, yet I liked her writing style so much I decided to give this book a try. I’m glad I did. I devoured this book in several hours. It was moody and atmospheric and eerie. The author really managed to convey the feel of the time and place. Isabella was an interesting character, a woman who could see spirits at a time when such a claim would have had you locked away. Her father protected her in the ways he believed best, but when he passes away Isabella is left to find her own path. She is offered a job by the mysterious Rhys Caradoc and, seeing no other choice, joins him at his home, Harrowgate Manor. While this book is a romance, I found it to ultimately be more of a story of Isabella and her journey. She begins the book quite sheltered and we watch as she becomes stronger, more determined. But the romance was also very intriguing. Rhys is a wounded man, plagued by the echoes of his lost family and the evil that has taken over the manor. He and Isabella find in one another a true understanding and an attraction that flames to love. If you’re in the mood for a haunting and intense read filled with romance and wrathful spirits I highly recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars! I don't read the 5 star reviews when deciding what books to read yet this one deserves the 5 stars. I really had trouble putting the story down and fell asleep with it still in my hands. This is the first book I've read by Eve Silver but it won't be the last one. If they're all as good as this one she's a sure winner of awards.
Isabella sees and hears those who have passed away. They call to her for release from their in-between world so their souls may rest.
Out of love for her, her father seeks help for her but is horrified by the conditions and treatment methods used in that time period and refuses to leave her in the care of the doctor they meet with. Instead he tells her to ignore the voices and visions. Deny what she knows is there. She learns to keep her secret from him and everyone else.
Her father is visited by a stranger named Rhys who wants everything he holds dear and is banished from their home. Isabella hears and sees their heated exchange and wonders who this man could be. She feels he holds the key to everything.
When her father dies Rhys is her only hope for employment, food, and a roof over her head. She soon learns Rhys has endured pain, loss, betrayal, and the same voices and visions she has.
The rest of the story is about the development of their relationship which is so respectful and tender I found myself holding my breath at points. Yes it is a ghost story but its' a love story too.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Alaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a 5 for me. I loved the gothic setting, the strong FMC, and the mysterious plot. Isabella was such a refreshing mc. She was strong and courageous without being bratty. She had the ability to see the dead but was taught her whole life to ignore what she saw. If she acknowledged the dead she would be labeled insane and locked away. I also LOVED Rhys! He was so gentle with her and to me he never seemed like the villain. The yearning between the MCs had me on the edge of my seat! I finished this book in under 24 hours. I could not put it down.

The only plot hole that sticks we me after reading: *spoiler alert* How did Isabella’s papa get ahold of the second half of the grimoire? In the story, Catrin finds both halves in a tree and then goes on to commit her vile acts and eventually is killed. Then Rhys says he spends time trying to track down the second half of the book and someone to help him open the gate (Isabella).

[Judith Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I started the prologue until I finished the last line of the epilogue I was on a supernatural gothic ride! Darkest at Dusk, Eve Silver's latest in her Revenant Roses series, was packed with atmosphere and psychological dread, featuring relatable but complex characters, including a brooding and handsome leading man, and two steamy scenes that made for an emotional, thrilling reading experience. One of the moments I really enjoyed was how Isabella, the female main character, related to the villain, understanding the parallels in their experiences. I thought using the unresolved traumas at a moment of extreme danger was a great touch that enhanced the risk to the main character and added humanity to the villain. In short, if you like gothic romance, read this book. You'll have a great time!

[DoctorCopper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkably bewitching paranormal gothic tale. This was so well-written, especially the tension, not just between the FMC and MMC, but the entire story as a whole kept me completely enthralled and wondering what was going to happen next.
The only reason I did not give it five stars was that the ending came across as quite rushed. The buildup throughout was so mesmerizing, but then what was essentially the final showdown came and went so rapidly, I was a bit letdown. Felt as if it needed to be a touch more descriptive, more fleshed out. It wasn’t a bad ending by any means, just a bit abrupt.
But the book was an excellent read and reminiscent of the atmospheric style of Jane Eyre or Rebecca.