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Sweet Silver Bells
She was made of magic and mourning. He was drowning in ghosts. In the haunted hush of Christmas, the forest brings them together.
In 1914, as snow blankets the quiet town of Stockbridge, Olivia escapes into the woods—a strange girl with stranger gifts, hunted by the life she left behind. The trees whisper her name. The frost bites like a warning.
She doesn’t expect to be found.
But then she hears his song.
Moving to present day, Hunter, a grieving schoolteacher who sees the world in shadows since the death of his wife. But when he meets Olivia, everything changes. Her touch feels like a second chance, all he needs to do is to take her hand.
Fans of One Dark Window and The Nightmare Before Christmas will be enchanted by this gothic holiday romance, where
the most powerful gift of all is a heart that still dares to hope.
In 1914, as snow blankets the quiet town of Stockbridge, Olivia escapes into the woods—a strange girl with stranger gifts, hunted by the life she left behind. The trees whisper her name. The frost bites like a warning.
She doesn’t expect to be found.
But then she hears his song.
Moving to present day, Hunter, a grieving schoolteacher who sees the world in shadows since the death of his wife. But when he meets Olivia, everything changes. Her touch feels like a second chance, all he needs to do is to take her hand.
Fans of One Dark Window and The Nightmare Before Christmas will be enchanted by this gothic holiday romance, where
the most powerful gift of all is a heart that still dares to hope.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2025
84 people are currently reading
2926 people want to read
About the author
Elle Kaelee
4 books56 followersElle Kaelee is a first-generation American author and mother who lives in the Pacific Northwest. After graduating with her B.F.A in musical theater, she gets inspired by people, relationships, and unique settings. This gives her an excuse to travel frequently.
She also had raised an orange cat who yells like a seagull with her husband.
She also had raised an orange cat who yells like a seagull with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
September 20, 2025
While this gothic holiday romance did deliver in some parts, it was a miss in others...
The haunting atmosphere I wanted was really present at the beginning and at the end, it's the middle that was disappointing. I needed more..
The cover is absolutely beautiful though, it might be one of my favourite covers ever and I love that this was the moment the author chose to represent..
Olivia escaped into the woods in 1914, never to be seen again. She was made of magic and grief, always there, in the trees.. In the present day, Hunter is grieving the loss of his wife, barely there at all.. But his song is going to attract the danger and the beauty of the one person he could never escape, but who can be his saviour or his doom...
They both carry their grief, but together maybe they can finally find the happiness they lost, in the darkness..
Olivia was such a compelling character, so full of magic and beauty, yet so dangerous and unpredictable. Her magic was affected by her emotions and you never knew when something bad would happen.. I loved the connection she had with nature, the way the earth responded to her.. It was both beautiful and terrifying.. She was isolated for so long, she was almost like a kid, needed to be taught the rules. She didn't really belong in the modern society..
Hunter was so consumed by his grief he wasn't really living, just surviving. Olivia was just what he needed, he always wanted to protect her, even when his morality was in question and I loved how he was always there for her...
But, I feel like their relationship was more about obsession than love.. We didn't really get their love story, it was too rushed and too unbelievable. I really loved how it began, but I wish we got more development, wish it was longer.. Some moments were highly questionable and honestly, I think I loved the potential more than I loved the actual story...
The prose was hauntingly beautiful at times, but then we would get some really cringe moments that didn't fit the vibes at all. Maybe I was expecting more than I should've, but the vibes were so good at the beginning and at the end. That haunting feeling, that's what I wanted to feel throughout the whole book.. If I did, this would've easily been a five star read, but the middle part was really a miss for me.. It gave me anxiety and second-hand embarrassment more than anything else..
I still loved the setting, the Christmas vibes mixed with sadness and loss, surrounded by darkness..
The end was so bittersweet, but so perfect, I loved it. It fit so well with the story and it was beautifully done.
While I didn't completely enjoy this, I would still love to read more from this author.
*Thank you to Netgalley and to Victory Editing for providing me with an ARC.*
The haunting atmosphere I wanted was really present at the beginning and at the end, it's the middle that was disappointing. I needed more..
The cover is absolutely beautiful though, it might be one of my favourite covers ever and I love that this was the moment the author chose to represent..
Olivia escaped into the woods in 1914, never to be seen again. She was made of magic and grief, always there, in the trees.. In the present day, Hunter is grieving the loss of his wife, barely there at all.. But his song is going to attract the danger and the beauty of the one person he could never escape, but who can be his saviour or his doom...
They both carry their grief, but together maybe they can finally find the happiness they lost, in the darkness..
Olivia was such a compelling character, so full of magic and beauty, yet so dangerous and unpredictable. Her magic was affected by her emotions and you never knew when something bad would happen.. I loved the connection she had with nature, the way the earth responded to her.. It was both beautiful and terrifying.. She was isolated for so long, she was almost like a kid, needed to be taught the rules. She didn't really belong in the modern society..
Hunter was so consumed by his grief he wasn't really living, just surviving. Olivia was just what he needed, he always wanted to protect her, even when his morality was in question and I loved how he was always there for her...
But, I feel like their relationship was more about obsession than love.. We didn't really get their love story, it was too rushed and too unbelievable. I really loved how it began, but I wish we got more development, wish it was longer.. Some moments were highly questionable and honestly, I think I loved the potential more than I loved the actual story...
The prose was hauntingly beautiful at times, but then we would get some really cringe moments that didn't fit the vibes at all. Maybe I was expecting more than I should've, but the vibes were so good at the beginning and at the end. That haunting feeling, that's what I wanted to feel throughout the whole book.. If I did, this would've easily been a five star read, but the middle part was really a miss for me.. It gave me anxiety and second-hand embarrassment more than anything else..
I still loved the setting, the Christmas vibes mixed with sadness and loss, surrounded by darkness..
The end was so bittersweet, but so perfect, I loved it. It fit so well with the story and it was beautifully done.
While I didn't completely enjoy this, I would still love to read more from this author.
*Thank you to Netgalley and to Victory Editing for providing me with an ARC.*
October 9, 2025
I wouldn’t really call this a Gothic holiday romance. More of a holiday romance with just a dash of darker elements. The cover is absolutely stunning, though, and the story started off really strong. After that, it was just okay for me.
The book does explore grief quite a bit. Hunter has become reclusive after losing his wife, Sadie, while Olivia is grieving the life and love she’s lost. I liked how they complemented each other, sometimes with a push, sometimes with tenderness. Still, there were moments that felt clunky and awkward, and I often caught myself wondering why I was continuing to read.
Overall, it was an okay read. I just wish it leaned more into the Gothic elements it hinted at.
I want to thank BookSirens and Elle Kaelee for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The book does explore grief quite a bit. Hunter has become reclusive after losing his wife, Sadie, while Olivia is grieving the life and love she’s lost. I liked how they complemented each other, sometimes with a push, sometimes with tenderness. Still, there were moments that felt clunky and awkward, and I often caught myself wondering why I was continuing to read.
Overall, it was an okay read. I just wish it leaned more into the Gothic elements it hinted at.
I want to thank BookSirens and Elle Kaelee for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
September 14, 2025
I was promised gothic fantasy holiday vibes and instead got uncomfortable infantilization of middle aged characters which made any chemistry feel perverted and wrong as well an insta-obsession trope despite the largest overhanging character detail being the substantial grief of his partner’s passing. Full of contradictions and cringe dialogue that was not enjoyable to read at all, this book was so disappointing as the synopsis explained something hauntingly beautiful but a terror to read what was actually inside.
A round of applause to the artist who delivered such a compelling cover! I really believed we would have this gorgeously dark setting of a wintry 20th century but the majority of the story takes place in the present time and doesn’t allude to any gothic themes aside from the first & last chapter.
Thank you to Victory Editing Co-Op for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
A round of applause to the artist who delivered such a compelling cover! I really believed we would have this gorgeously dark setting of a wintry 20th century but the majority of the story takes place in the present time and doesn’t allude to any gothic themes aside from the first & last chapter.
Thank you to Victory Editing Co-Op for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
December 3, 2025
Wtf did I just read? It is my first "true" gothic romance.
Fmc is a 1914 creature, a human with witchy powers to enchant people and plants. She is part of the soil and plants do her evil biddings.
After being banished of her society she blends with the forest and lives there until 2025, a sad widower MMC comes to the forest to sing happy christmas songs while sobbing over his dead wife and boom Olivia the witch is like "you are the one I've been always searching for."
And he's like "crazy lady I want to save you from this life of nudity you're leading in creepy forest"
She's like "you have darkness inside like my own. Both of us will blend with the trees one day"
And he's like "you're dangerous, enchantress but I will try saving you maybe that way I'll forget about my dead wife"
FMC comes home with him to the beautifull small cmmutinity busy celebrating christmas cheer while Olivia is busy killing people for no reason using tree branches that spear heart and dig through eyes.
Then she makes people forget her murderous spree through her spells, MMC is like what's wrong with me, why am I attracted to her weird ways, why am I smashing my tv just because she said the tv vibration hurts the tree outside the house? And why am I protecting her after she kills innocent people?
At the end of the day Olivia is more awesome and too grand for our daily life routine so she tells mmc :" i'm not giving you a choice but do you want to live with me forever inside a tree?
He's like sure why not? So she kills him with a poisonous kiss out of a poisonous tree and makes him a ghost. A ghost that would haunt forever the forest with her.
Every christmas they sing sweet silver bells carols and THE E ND!
Fmc is a 1914 creature, a human with witchy powers to enchant people and plants. She is part of the soil and plants do her evil biddings.
After being banished of her society she blends with the forest and lives there until 2025, a sad widower MMC comes to the forest to sing happy christmas songs while sobbing over his dead wife and boom Olivia the witch is like "you are the one I've been always searching for."
And he's like "crazy lady I want to save you from this life of nudity you're leading in creepy forest"
She's like "you have darkness inside like my own. Both of us will blend with the trees one day"
And he's like "you're dangerous, enchantress but I will try saving you maybe that way I'll forget about my dead wife"
FMC comes home with him to the beautifull small cmmutinity busy celebrating christmas cheer while Olivia is busy killing people for no reason using tree branches that spear heart and dig through eyes.
Then she makes people forget her murderous spree through her spells, MMC is like what's wrong with me, why am I attracted to her weird ways, why am I smashing my tv just because she said the tv vibration hurts the tree outside the house? And why am I protecting her after she kills innocent people?
At the end of the day Olivia is more awesome and too grand for our daily life routine so she tells mmc :" i'm not giving you a choice but do you want to live with me forever inside a tree?
He's like sure why not? So she kills him with a poisonous kiss out of a poisonous tree and makes him a ghost. A ghost that would haunt forever the forest with her.
Every christmas they sing sweet silver bells carols and THE E ND!
September 20, 2025
— ARC review
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. The beginning was quite promising and really made me want to keep reading. However, I definitely wasn’t expecting this kind of story.
While the writing style itself is good, the way the plot unfolded wasn’t really to my taste: everything happened far too quickly, without any real elements that could have built a believable connection between the two main characters.
Their relationship seemed to come out of nowhere for me, or at least the feelings appeared without me being able to sense their bond. It was only obsession and even that part was weird for me.
As for the ending, I struggled with it a bit, and it’s mainly because of that ending that I realized this wasn’t the kind of book I thought I would be reading. Everything wrapped up so fast, and it just didn’t make sense to me.
That being said, I’m still glad I had the chance to read this ARC. Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kaelee.
I’ll still take a look at the author’s other works, because I think it was just this particular book that wasn’t for me. Maybe I’ll find what I’m looking for in one of her other novels.
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. The beginning was quite promising and really made me want to keep reading. However, I definitely wasn’t expecting this kind of story.
While the writing style itself is good, the way the plot unfolded wasn’t really to my taste: everything happened far too quickly, without any real elements that could have built a believable connection between the two main characters.
Their relationship seemed to come out of nowhere for me, or at least the feelings appeared without me being able to sense their bond. It was only obsession and even that part was weird for me.
As for the ending, I struggled with it a bit, and it’s mainly because of that ending that I realized this wasn’t the kind of book I thought I would be reading. Everything wrapped up so fast, and it just didn’t make sense to me.
That being said, I’m still glad I had the chance to read this ARC. Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kaelee.
I’ll still take a look at the author’s other works, because I think it was just this particular book that wasn’t for me. Maybe I’ll find what I’m looking for in one of her other novels.
October 14, 2025
"A crack, a crevice, formed from above and below that branch, growing deeper, the pitch black of horror and hopelessness seeping out, greeting the forest like an old, ancient friend." (Ch 4)
The cover and artwork within are gorgeous. It's a dark supernatural romantasy teeming with horror/macabre elements.
"Olivia’s long eyelashes nearly brushed her cheeks as she blinked, that smile still lingering, carved soft but sharp. A perfect, flawless, wicked doll." (Ch 10)
Not sure why, but as I read Olivia's singing parts, I could only imagine a shrilly voice from the get-go. It kind of stuck in my head, making me cringe a smidgen every time. 😬
"....his courage fled when she pressed her chest against his and brushed her nose along his cheek, inhaling him like a wild animal scenting prey.
“You don’t smell like the forest,” she whispered." (Ch 4)
Both Olivia and Hunter have experienced such deep sorrow and pain. Though they are from different worlds, they are drawn to each other. In a way, Olivia still comes off as a willful teenager, even though she's grown. And Hunter seems like he needs her like someone needs something to fix and take care of. It is a disturbingly gruesome lurid tale with a twisted love. How it ended...🤔 I wasn't a fan, but can't always have the ending we would have imagined.
eARC courtesy of BookSirens
The cover and artwork within are gorgeous. It's a dark supernatural romantasy teeming with horror/macabre elements.
"Olivia’s long eyelashes nearly brushed her cheeks as she blinked, that smile still lingering, carved soft but sharp. A perfect, flawless, wicked doll." (Ch 10)
Not sure why, but as I read Olivia's singing parts, I could only imagine a shrilly voice from the get-go. It kind of stuck in my head, making me cringe a smidgen every time. 😬
"....his courage fled when she pressed her chest against his and brushed her nose along his cheek, inhaling him like a wild animal scenting prey.
“You don’t smell like the forest,” she whispered." (Ch 4)
Both Olivia and Hunter have experienced such deep sorrow and pain. Though they are from different worlds, they are drawn to each other. In a way, Olivia still comes off as a willful teenager, even though she's grown. And Hunter seems like he needs her like someone needs something to fix and take care of. It is a disturbingly gruesome lurid tale with a twisted love. How it ended...🤔 I wasn't a fan, but can't always have the ending we would have imagined.
eARC courtesy of BookSirens
September 9, 2025
3.75 ⭐️ Thank you to Book Sirens and Elle Kaelee for the arc! Sweet Silver Bells is dark, earthy, and gothic. Grief and healing are strong themes laced throughout the story. I really loved the earth magic. I thought Olivia’s connection with the earth was described beautifully. I liked the emotional progression of the characters. Olivia’s actions were unpredictable as her emotions heightened, keeping me never knowing what she would do next. Hunter was a grieving widow, stuck within the pitfalls. I loved how they both sought comfort in the darkness. Olivia being drawn to the cover of the forest and Hunter drawn to the darkness that consumed Olivia. He referred to her as his moon, which I love. He was completely enraptured by her.
“How could he stop this? How could he tell her, with words too clumsy for a creature like her, that she was the most achingly beautiful thing he had ever seen—that even the moon must envy the way she pulled the tides of his heart?”
The ending was wrapped up in true, gothic fashion. Poetic, bittersweet, and romantic. I resonated with this story as I too, often find beauty and healing within the darkness. I would recommend Sweet Silver Bells to the girlies who enjoy gothic stories.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
“How could he stop this? How could he tell her, with words too clumsy for a creature like her, that she was the most achingly beautiful thing he had ever seen—that even the moon must envy the way she pulled the tides of his heart?”
The ending was wrapped up in true, gothic fashion. Poetic, bittersweet, and romantic. I resonated with this story as I too, often find beauty and healing within the darkness. I would recommend Sweet Silver Bells to the girlies who enjoy gothic stories.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 18, 2025
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!*
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the artist who designed the cover deserves a 5 star review for that alone!!
This is the perfect book for the goth girlies who want a low spice paranormal romance. A hauntingly beautiful love story centered around Christmas themes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the artist who designed the cover deserves a 5 star review for that alone!!
This is the perfect book for the goth girlies who want a low spice paranormal romance. A hauntingly beautiful love story centered around Christmas themes.
dnf
September 1, 2025Okay so I’ve sat with this more and I’m kinda grossed out. DNF at like 30% but for the love of god tell me why she disappeared at 14 THEN SAYS SHE HAS ‘URGES’ AND ASKS THE MMC TO WATCH HER MASTURBATE!!!!
Yeah she kept aging so she’s like in her 20s or whatever. But you shouldn’t use the words ‘14’ and ‘urges’ in the same fucking sentence. 🤢
What the fuck!!!!
Now I LOVE gothic romance/horror/fantasy, etc. Anything haunting, beautiful and gothic I’m a MASSIVE fan off so I expected to love this. I’m so upset I didn’t but like…eww
Yeah she kept aging so she’s like in her 20s or whatever. But you shouldn’t use the words ‘14’ and ‘urges’ in the same fucking sentence. 🤢
What the fuck!!!!
Now I LOVE gothic romance/horror/fantasy, etc. Anything haunting, beautiful and gothic I’m a MASSIVE fan off so I expected to love this. I’m so upset I didn’t but like…eww
September 25, 2025
So friggin good
I loved this little dark, Gothic, holiday, witchy romance. Nightmare before Christmas vibes eat your heart out. Read this book.
I loved this little dark, Gothic, holiday, witchy romance. Nightmare before Christmas vibes eat your heart out. Read this book.
September 22, 2025
★★★☆☆ || @corriature on IG!
Thank you NetGalley and the author for the eARC, and the chance to review this!
Things I loved: the atmosphere, the writing, the concept. I felt like I was walking through a foggy forest the whole time, it was chilling and foresty and I loved every bit of the detailing. I love the concept of grief around the holidays, as it’s something I, myself, and very familiar with. I love obsession and ghosts and morally questionable relationships between consenting adults, even if the romance was what missed the mark for me.
Things that didn’t work for me: the relationship felt told instead of shown. He kept saying he was obsessed with her, this ethereal, supernatural being, despite grieving his late wife. But why? How? He was questioning his sanity and morals but we never got to see his thought process outside of “This might not be the best.” I wasn’t expecting a cutesy romance by any means, I love gothic romance, but the romance we were provided felt… forced. I felt like the 100-something year old being was a little infantilized by the middle aged mortal man. But was also terrified of her and her power? And hated her for it? But loved her for it?
Honestly, I’d be super down to read another work from this author because the prose and concept and world was very up my alley! I’d still recommend this to someone who wants a chilling atmospheric read but doesn’t care too much about the development of relationships.
Thank you NetGalley and the author for the eARC, and the chance to review this!
Things I loved: the atmosphere, the writing, the concept. I felt like I was walking through a foggy forest the whole time, it was chilling and foresty and I loved every bit of the detailing. I love the concept of grief around the holidays, as it’s something I, myself, and very familiar with. I love obsession and ghosts and morally questionable relationships between consenting adults, even if the romance was what missed the mark for me.
Things that didn’t work for me: the relationship felt told instead of shown. He kept saying he was obsessed with her, this ethereal, supernatural being, despite grieving his late wife. But why? How? He was questioning his sanity and morals but we never got to see his thought process outside of “This might not be the best.” I wasn’t expecting a cutesy romance by any means, I love gothic romance, but the romance we were provided felt… forced. I felt like the 100-something year old being was a little infantilized by the middle aged mortal man. But was also terrified of her and her power? And hated her for it? But loved her for it?
Honestly, I’d be super down to read another work from this author because the prose and concept and world was very up my alley! I’d still recommend this to someone who wants a chilling atmospheric read but doesn’t care too much about the development of relationships.
December 12, 2025
The book had a promising start but unfortunately declined as I read. It was slow-paced, and the characters, particularly the male main character, were not well developed. I lacked a connection to any of the characters.
Overall, it was neither bad nor good. I think others would enjoy this but it just wasn’t for me. There didn’t seem to be much angst or action. It was a sweeter love story and not the gothic Christmas tale I was expecting. The ending was decent but I really struggled to finish this one.
Overall, it was neither bad nor good. I think others would enjoy this but it just wasn’t for me. There didn’t seem to be much angst or action. It was a sweeter love story and not the gothic Christmas tale I was expecting. The ending was decent but I really struggled to finish this one.
November 9, 2025
2.75 ⭐️
Thank you to BookSirens and the author Elle Kaelee for providing me with this free ARC to review, all opinions are my own.
Truthfully, this is probably one of the most bizarre books I've ever read and I'm not really sure what to think of it… It feels like what I would imagine an acid trip would be like if I were a ghost observing the world of the living merging with the one of a dark fairytale.
“She was made of magic and mourning. He was drowning in ghosts.” I think this quote of the book’s blurb perfectly and beautifully encompasses the very essence of our main characters.
However while the blurb of this book describes it as a gothic holiday romance, it is nowhere near what I had anticipated it to be. I think beyond the gothic aspects of it, it is important for readers to realize that this is actually quite a dark and disturbing tale, and is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea… I personally love horror and gore elements in fantasy and romantasy, however i think books such as this one should come with a more accurate mention in the blurb as well as an exhaustive trigger warning list.
The book starts out with two truly heart breaking snippets of each character’s lives, stories of sudden & unexpected loss, both of a loved one & of oneself.
The story then devolves into something equally deeply dark/gory, and profoundly absurd/outlandish…
This is not your typical holiday romance, it’s a tale that blurs the lines between obsession & desire with those of love & protection.
I will say the ending surprised me in the sense that it caused me a lot more anguish and heartache than I would have expected. It was an unexpected and twisted kind of happy ending.
I can’t really say much more without spoiling the contents, so i will keep it at this when it comes to the story.
As for the writing, while it is quite engaging and some parts are very beautiful and lyrical, unfortunately some of the wording also left me confused in other places.
Parts of the storyline felt like I’d missed a whole paragraph and some of the characters actions were very abrupt & jarring, both of which had me re-reading the contents multiple times.
Overall I’m having a very hard time deciding how I feel about this story, and might come back at a later time to add more of my thoughts once I’ve been able to collect them better.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author Elle Kaelee for providing me with this free ARC to review, all opinions are my own.
Truthfully, this is probably one of the most bizarre books I've ever read and I'm not really sure what to think of it… It feels like what I would imagine an acid trip would be like if I were a ghost observing the world of the living merging with the one of a dark fairytale.
“She was made of magic and mourning. He was drowning in ghosts.” I think this quote of the book’s blurb perfectly and beautifully encompasses the very essence of our main characters.
However while the blurb of this book describes it as a gothic holiday romance, it is nowhere near what I had anticipated it to be. I think beyond the gothic aspects of it, it is important for readers to realize that this is actually quite a dark and disturbing tale, and is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea… I personally love horror and gore elements in fantasy and romantasy, however i think books such as this one should come with a more accurate mention in the blurb as well as an exhaustive trigger warning list.
The book starts out with two truly heart breaking snippets of each character’s lives, stories of sudden & unexpected loss, both of a loved one & of oneself.
The story then devolves into something equally deeply dark/gory, and profoundly absurd/outlandish…
This is not your typical holiday romance, it’s a tale that blurs the lines between obsession & desire with those of love & protection.
I will say the ending surprised me in the sense that it caused me a lot more anguish and heartache than I would have expected. It was an unexpected and twisted kind of happy ending.
I can’t really say much more without spoiling the contents, so i will keep it at this when it comes to the story.
As for the writing, while it is quite engaging and some parts are very beautiful and lyrical, unfortunately some of the wording also left me confused in other places.
Parts of the storyline felt like I’d missed a whole paragraph and some of the characters actions were very abrupt & jarring, both of which had me re-reading the contents multiple times.
Overall I’m having a very hard time deciding how I feel about this story, and might come back at a later time to add more of my thoughts once I’ve been able to collect them better.
December 22, 2025
I want to start off with the positives. This book was a very quick read and the cover art drew me right in. The earth magic was cool and I thought the book did an alright job addressing what grief looked like.... A quick and dirty summary is a young woman (Olivia) who possessed earth magic was embarrassed at a Christmas Eve Ball hosted by her family. She was taunted for being a witch and exposed. She decided to run into the woods and escape her family and tormentors. Her father followed and she wanted him to stop so she used her magic to create a dense foliage barrier in the woods and accidentally killed her father in the process. She then entombed herself in a tree and has "lived" there ever since. Cut to the modern day. We have a 40 year old teacher just going about life. He is a widower and doesn't have much going for him. While on a field trip to a beautiful old estate (not only was it where he and his wife had a wedding, it was the estate the "witch's" family owned) he stumbles into the woods and encounters the beautiful "tree siren" as he likes to call her. He becomes enamored with her and convinces her to leave the woods. He greatly underestimates her power though and a trail of destruction follows. He can't help himself though, he hasn't felt this alive since his wife was alive and he'll do anything to stay with this beauty. This book.... could have used a lot more substance, a lot more editing, and just a lot... more. Hunter seemed very two dimensional. He contained so much grief but then it just went out the window whenever he is around Olivia. He knows how dangerous she is yet he continually puts his friends and family in danger by exposing them to her and he just makes excuses for everything. Also, there is an alarming lack of sex (the cover looked so spicy, I was let down!). This was definitely gothic but the comparisons to Nightmare Before Christmas were an extreme stretch.
October 14, 2025
This was such a hauntingly beautiful Christmas read. The perfect blend of whimsical and macabre. If you're a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas or Corpse Bride, this will hit all the right notes.
"Both of them existed in a haunted sadness that would never be lifted, except for the comfort of each other's arms"
Our FMC is a tree siren with uncontrollable magic, who has lived in solitude for over a century, her heart heavy with grief and regret. Her pain is palpable, and the atmospheric writing makes you feel her isolation. That is, until our MMC stumbles into her life - a man shattered by the loss of his beloved, teetering on the edge of reality. Their connection is something you instantly cling to because they are the only things tethering each other into acceptance and love amidst the sadness and darkness.
Their story feels like fate, two broken souls finding each other in the middle of a blood-soaked, snow-covered forest. Yes, there are some graphic, murderous Christmas scenes (which I actually loved), but they’re balanced by tender, aching moments that feel straight out of a gothic fairytale. I honestly wanted more of the Christmas gore if we're being honest. There were also some awesome moments where the FMC is a little plant nerd and despite knowing nothing about the current world, is awed and intrigued by the modern day.
The pacing was great, the writing was easy to get into, and I stayed intrigued from start to finish. Sweet Silver Bells is a darkly enchanting holiday tale that lingers long after the final page. Thank you so much BookSirens for letting me ARC read this beautiful story. 4.5 stars for me!
"Both of them existed in a haunted sadness that would never be lifted, except for the comfort of each other's arms"
Our FMC is a tree siren with uncontrollable magic, who has lived in solitude for over a century, her heart heavy with grief and regret. Her pain is palpable, and the atmospheric writing makes you feel her isolation. That is, until our MMC stumbles into her life - a man shattered by the loss of his beloved, teetering on the edge of reality. Their connection is something you instantly cling to because they are the only things tethering each other into acceptance and love amidst the sadness and darkness.
Their story feels like fate, two broken souls finding each other in the middle of a blood-soaked, snow-covered forest. Yes, there are some graphic, murderous Christmas scenes (which I actually loved), but they’re balanced by tender, aching moments that feel straight out of a gothic fairytale. I honestly wanted more of the Christmas gore if we're being honest. There were also some awesome moments where the FMC is a little plant nerd and despite knowing nothing about the current world, is awed and intrigued by the modern day.
The pacing was great, the writing was easy to get into, and I stayed intrigued from start to finish. Sweet Silver Bells is a darkly enchanting holiday tale that lingers long after the final page. Thank you so much BookSirens for letting me ARC read this beautiful story. 4.5 stars for me!
December 23, 2025
3/5
28 Chapters, 254 pages
Published: September 25, 2025 by Elle Kaelee
1 POV (MMC), 3rd-person narration
Mid-length chapters; Pacing was mid/fast
Some Spice
A cute, romantic, short Gothic, Holiday Fantasy.
It was interesting, but not written in a ground-breaking way. The narration wasn't sophisticated enough for my taste. It wasn't a masterpiece, but a cute, fun holiday read.
-> The dialogue wasn't very witty (But the FMC spoke better than the MMC) -> makes it easily YA.
-> I did like the Fantasy elements.
-> Not a bad book, per se, just wanted more from it.
-> Wasn't a fan of the modern daily life, felt like a lifetime movie (It felt too pedantic).
I don't have much to say about it. This was very PG with debatable horror aspects, (as in the PG of the horror was debatable, as in also, the story).
Overall, it was a fun read.
28 Chapters, 254 pages
Published: September 25, 2025 by Elle Kaelee
1 POV (MMC), 3rd-person narration
Mid-length chapters; Pacing was mid/fast
Some Spice
A cute, romantic, short Gothic, Holiday Fantasy.
It was interesting, but not written in a ground-breaking way. The narration wasn't sophisticated enough for my taste. It wasn't a masterpiece, but a cute, fun holiday read.
-> The dialogue wasn't very witty (But the FMC spoke better than the MMC) -> makes it easily YA.
-> I did like the Fantasy elements.
-> Not a bad book, per se, just wanted more from it.
-> Wasn't a fan of the modern daily life, felt like a lifetime movie (It felt too pedantic).
I don't have much to say about it. This was very PG with debatable horror aspects, (as in the PG of the horror was debatable, as in also, the story).
Overall, it was a fun read.
October 26, 2025
2.75⭐
Thank you Netgalley and Elle Kaelee for the ARC.
This book started very promising. It was suspenseful and ominous at the beginning. There are a few dark events which held up my hope for an exciting story. Unfortunately, the story gets very relationship focused. I felt like the character development and the relationship development didn't have enough depth to account for the murder that happens.
The storyline does cover nicely detailed writing about nature and grieving. In my opinion, there was a lot of potential for the story, but it didn't meet my expectations.
Thank you Netgalley and Elle Kaelee for the ARC.
This book started very promising. It was suspenseful and ominous at the beginning. There are a few dark events which held up my hope for an exciting story. Unfortunately, the story gets very relationship focused. I felt like the character development and the relationship development didn't have enough depth to account for the murder that happens.
The storyline does cover nicely detailed writing about nature and grieving. In my opinion, there was a lot of potential for the story, but it didn't meet my expectations.
September 7, 2025
3.5 🌟
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
An eerie Christmas love story that still managed to feel light and whimsical at times thanks to the humor—such a great blend! The romance was deliciously twisted and I loved it. You could really tell the main characters were made for each other, their connection was so strong. That said, I do wish the book had been a bit longer to give their relationship more room to grow—it felt a little too quick how he moved on from his late wife. I was expecting more conflict between them, even with the enchanting pull she had over him.
All in all, though, this was a really fun read and definitely worth picking up!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
An eerie Christmas love story that still managed to feel light and whimsical at times thanks to the humor—such a great blend! The romance was deliciously twisted and I loved it. You could really tell the main characters were made for each other, their connection was so strong. That said, I do wish the book had been a bit longer to give their relationship more room to grow—it felt a little too quick how he moved on from his late wife. I was expecting more conflict between them, even with the enchanting pull she had over him.
All in all, though, this was a really fun read and definitely worth picking up!
October 16, 2025
Firstly, I want to thank Eller Raelee and NetGalley for allowing me to read Sweet Silver Bells, published on the 25th of September 2025, in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not quite sure how I ended up reading a Christmas vibe story during spooky season but here we are. It’s quite a charming lil’ story — for the most part, that’s it.
Something straight off the bat, I really enjoyed that the MMC wasn’t a 20 year old something college boy but an actual life experienced man. We do not talk about the age of the FMC, cause that’s a bit tricky, considering she was cursed and trapped and all that jazz. But our MMC broke this curse with his singing to which I say —- slay king.
There were a few moments where I quite literally laughed out loud (funeral for the TV, I am looking at you.) and other times where I was like …what the fuck? ( branches getting kinky, I am definitely looking at you.)
Over all, it’s a good little read to get your mind off things.
I’m not quite sure how I ended up reading a Christmas vibe story during spooky season but here we are. It’s quite a charming lil’ story — for the most part, that’s it.
Something straight off the bat, I really enjoyed that the MMC wasn’t a 20 year old something college boy but an actual life experienced man. We do not talk about the age of the FMC, cause that’s a bit tricky, considering she was cursed and trapped and all that jazz. But our MMC broke this curse with his singing to which I say —- slay king.
There were a few moments where I quite literally laughed out loud (funeral for the TV, I am looking at you.) and other times where I was like …what the fuck? ( branches getting kinky, I am definitely looking at you.)
Over all, it’s a good little read to get your mind off things.
August 30, 2025
*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
First of all, can we just take a moment to admire the cover? It's utterly gorgeous, and if I still collected paperbacks this would look beautiful on my shelf!
Onto the actual book review; this definitely has all the gothic, dark, tragic, Christmas romantasy elements. The writing is poetic, enigmatic and captivating, and the way the dialogue and character interactions flow was almost magical.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but personally I wasn't a fan of the direction the plot took, it just felt a little scattered and random at times. I did like how Olivia is a tree siren, when she sings the Earth comes alive, literally. However, she was a villain wrapped up in beauty and giggles. Constantly she does unspeakable things, is always singing and making the MMC Hunter do things against his will, and then makes him forget it happened, and to be honest it took away a lot of the romance for me. I enjoyed how to begin with Olivia and Hunter's relationship was built on a connection of grief, they both had these feelings of 'what have you been through too?', but then the aforementioned magic manipulation happened.
This book is short, which I was glad about, and is definitely worth a read if you're into darker supernatural romance combined with Christmas. The story wraps up well at the end, leaving readers with bittersweet feelings, maybe mixed if you're like me and share some of the same thoughts and feelings towards the romance. Overall, I'd recommend, and like I said, a lot of my thoughts are entirely due to personal preference, so others may love this book more!
3/5 🌟
First of all, can we just take a moment to admire the cover? It's utterly gorgeous, and if I still collected paperbacks this would look beautiful on my shelf!
Onto the actual book review; this definitely has all the gothic, dark, tragic, Christmas romantasy elements. The writing is poetic, enigmatic and captivating, and the way the dialogue and character interactions flow was almost magical.
I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but personally I wasn't a fan of the direction the plot took, it just felt a little scattered and random at times. I did like how Olivia is a tree siren, when she sings the Earth comes alive, literally. However, she was a villain wrapped up in beauty and giggles. Constantly she does unspeakable things, is always singing and making the MMC Hunter do things against his will, and then makes him forget it happened, and to be honest it took away a lot of the romance for me. I enjoyed how to begin with Olivia and Hunter's relationship was built on a connection of grief, they both had these feelings of 'what have you been through too?', but then the aforementioned magic manipulation happened.
This book is short, which I was glad about, and is definitely worth a read if you're into darker supernatural romance combined with Christmas. The story wraps up well at the end, leaving readers with bittersweet feelings, maybe mixed if you're like me and share some of the same thoughts and feelings towards the romance. Overall, I'd recommend, and like I said, a lot of my thoughts are entirely due to personal preference, so others may love this book more!
3/5 🌟
September 12, 2025
Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. As someone who loves supporting indie authors, I always aim to share thoughtful, fair feedback. While I have personal reading preferences like a love for fantasy, horses, or specific tropes, I never let that impact my rating unless it is relevant to the book’s intent or audience. I review with the genre and readership in mind. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy!
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️
Darkness/ Bloodiness: 🖤🩸 meant for adult audience, please check content warnings!
I was absolutely captivated by the cover of the book, it looks stunning. All the details, colors and composition matches the story so well.
I was really excited about a gothic, winter read and I am so happy I picked up this piece. Reading the story felt like a dark haze, constantly thinking about morals and obsession, grief also playing a large part in it.
I love stories where a human is obsessed with a mysterious, ethereal creature. Olivia is absolutely a peculiar one, she is raw. Choosing hybernation and in and out existence in her early youth she definitely brings those immature, rash, emotional bomb feelings to her character that I loved seeing. She is not consistent at all, I couldn't predict her actions that fit her background perfectly in my opinion.
The gothic feel was given by both the setting, the plot and by the actions of the two main characters, expect darkness and grey right and wrong.
Around halfway I often felt that Hunter was conflicted about the morals and his ease towards darkness was bumpy, that was a bit contradicting with her thoughts. I was really relieved by the ending because that was exactly what I wanted to see happen, that felt right for the story and I was worried I wouldn't get it. More smoothness with the transition was the aspect that pushed me to only give 4 star, I can absolutely see others love it much more, less caught up in the small bumps!
My favourite quote from the book:
"Some things are beautiful because they hurt."
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️
Darkness/ Bloodiness: 🖤🩸 meant for adult audience, please check content warnings!
I was absolutely captivated by the cover of the book, it looks stunning. All the details, colors and composition matches the story so well.
I was really excited about a gothic, winter read and I am so happy I picked up this piece. Reading the story felt like a dark haze, constantly thinking about morals and obsession, grief also playing a large part in it.
I love stories where a human is obsessed with a mysterious, ethereal creature. Olivia is absolutely a peculiar one, she is raw. Choosing hybernation and in and out existence in her early youth she definitely brings those immature, rash, emotional bomb feelings to her character that I loved seeing. She is not consistent at all, I couldn't predict her actions that fit her background perfectly in my opinion.
The gothic feel was given by both the setting, the plot and by the actions of the two main characters, expect darkness and grey right and wrong.
Around halfway I often felt that Hunter was conflicted about the morals and his ease towards darkness was bumpy, that was a bit contradicting with her thoughts. I was really relieved by the ending because that was exactly what I wanted to see happen, that felt right for the story and I was worried I wouldn't get it. More smoothness with the transition was the aspect that pushed me to only give 4 star, I can absolutely see others love it much more, less caught up in the small bumps!
My favourite quote from the book:
"Some things are beautiful because they hurt."
October 3, 2025
Based on the synopsis, I expected a gothic love story about two broken people finding healing and love in each other. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
The beginning started strong. In 1914, Olivia flees into the forest because she is accused of being a witch. In the present time, Hunter is trying to move on with his life after the death of his wife. While on a school field trip, he encounters Olivia in the forest. He doesn't know what he gets himself into when she invites Olivia to leave the forest and stay with him.
My biggest issue was the MCs. Olivia was selfish and manipulative, often causing harm without remorse. After meeting Olivia, Hunter becomes weirdly obsessed with her. It bothered me how much he had changed from the sweet person we first met at the beginning to dismissing people's lives as long as Olivia was happy. The thing is, he wasn't stupid. He knew how dangerous she was. During his inner monologue, he described how scared of her he was, but tried to excuse it by telling himself she was scared and just didn't know any better. Girl was a walking red flag, and from the start, he should've heeded her advice and left her alone.
The romance in general was toxic. I wouldn't even call it love. It was more instalust, which is one of my least favorite tropes. Them having sex right after what happened at the Christmas market was jarring. Olivia was such a stark contrast to the way Hunter described his late wife that I couldn't understand how he ever fell for her. Honestly, both would have benefited more from therapy than whatever this relationship was.
The only thing I enjoyed was Hunter's friends, especially Sadie. I loved her sense of humor and how she wasn't afraid to poke fun at his situation, but not in a mean way.
Oh, and the cover is gorgeous.
This just wasn't for me. But if you enjoy a dark romance with some slight horror, you might like this one.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The beginning started strong. In 1914, Olivia flees into the forest because she is accused of being a witch. In the present time, Hunter is trying to move on with his life after the death of his wife. While on a school field trip, he encounters Olivia in the forest. He doesn't know what he gets himself into when she invites Olivia to leave the forest and stay with him.
My biggest issue was the MCs. Olivia was selfish and manipulative, often causing harm without remorse. After meeting Olivia, Hunter becomes weirdly obsessed with her. It bothered me how much he had changed from the sweet person we first met at the beginning to dismissing people's lives as long as Olivia was happy. The thing is, he wasn't stupid. He knew how dangerous she was. During his inner monologue, he described how scared of her he was, but tried to excuse it by telling himself she was scared and just didn't know any better. Girl was a walking red flag, and from the start, he should've heeded her advice and left her alone.
The romance in general was toxic. I wouldn't even call it love. It was more instalust, which is one of my least favorite tropes. Them having sex right after what happened at the Christmas market was jarring. Olivia was such a stark contrast to the way Hunter described his late wife that I couldn't understand how he ever fell for her. Honestly, both would have benefited more from therapy than whatever this relationship was.
The only thing I enjoyed was Hunter's friends, especially Sadie. I loved her sense of humor and how she wasn't afraid to poke fun at his situation, but not in a mean way.
Oh, and the cover is gorgeous.
This just wasn't for me. But if you enjoy a dark romance with some slight horror, you might like this one.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Read
September 15, 2025Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Was super excited for the concept of this: a wintery romance that deals with grief, however I was let down by the execution.
There was a lot of insta-love elements to this, despite the fact that she's been living in the woods for so long and has no knowledge of modern times - some aspects of that felt a little advantage-y to me since she's clearly out of her depth in a modern world.
I thought the day of the triffids dramatic scene part way through was completely out of place, and glossed over way too quickly, certainly at the bare minimum our MMC became too comfortable with murder too quickly for my liking.
His dead wife also seemed to have no purpose in the story other than to 'give her blessing', in some way, to his new relationship. Almost laughed out loud at the part describing her death (no offense meant), where he explains how as a food nutritionist the chemical she was working with sucked all the oxygen out of the lab and the lab workers all died. I was not convinced.
Also a number of typos etc in the book itself.
I will say that the cover for this is absolutely stunning, and I'm sure it will be a popular quick Christmas romance for many!
Was super excited for the concept of this: a wintery romance that deals with grief, however I was let down by the execution.
There was a lot of insta-love elements to this, despite the fact that she's been living in the woods for so long and has no knowledge of modern times - some aspects of that felt a little advantage-y to me since she's clearly out of her depth in a modern world.
I thought the day of the triffids dramatic scene part way through was completely out of place, and glossed over way too quickly, certainly at the bare minimum our MMC became too comfortable with murder too quickly for my liking.
His dead wife also seemed to have no purpose in the story other than to 'give her blessing', in some way, to his new relationship. Almost laughed out loud at the part describing her death (no offense meant), where he explains how as a food nutritionist the chemical she was working with sucked all the oxygen out of the lab and the lab workers all died. I was not convinced.
Also a number of typos etc in the book itself.
I will say that the cover for this is absolutely stunning, and I'm sure it will be a popular quick Christmas romance for many!
September 22, 2025
Starting off the fall season with a little dark, gothic, and atmospheric romance with some horror elements is exactly where I want to be!
Thank you to Elle Kaelee's team and BookSirens for this ARC for an honest review. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
Olivia is a witch trapped in a tree and only his song can awaken her. She has latched onto Hunter and will not let him go. Olivia has been hurt in the past and refuses to go through that again, so she will do what is necessary to protect herself.
Hunter is a widower still grieving his late wife when he encounters Olivia. Not exactly a meet cute. The strange woman states she is over 100 years old and Hunter is skeptical, yet curious. He can't help but notice this strong pull towards her and feels obligated to save her and protect her. She is his "tree siren."
All in all, a very interesting concept! I can honestly say I have never read anything like this before. I do wish it was longer, because it felt a bit rushed.
I enjoyed both characters; I was longing to get to know them both more and watch their relationship bloom (no pun intended).
The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and for someone who does judge a book by it's cover, I would read it alone because of that.
If you enjoyed The Nightmare Before Christmas and books similar to One Dark Window, I believe you will have a great time with this book!
Thank you to Elle Kaelee's team and BookSirens for this ARC for an honest review. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
Olivia is a witch trapped in a tree and only his song can awaken her. She has latched onto Hunter and will not let him go. Olivia has been hurt in the past and refuses to go through that again, so she will do what is necessary to protect herself.
Hunter is a widower still grieving his late wife when he encounters Olivia. Not exactly a meet cute. The strange woman states she is over 100 years old and Hunter is skeptical, yet curious. He can't help but notice this strong pull towards her and feels obligated to save her and protect her. She is his "tree siren."
All in all, a very interesting concept! I can honestly say I have never read anything like this before. I do wish it was longer, because it felt a bit rushed.
I enjoyed both characters; I was longing to get to know them both more and watch their relationship bloom (no pun intended).
The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and for someone who does judge a book by it's cover, I would read it alone because of that.
If you enjoyed The Nightmare Before Christmas and books similar to One Dark Window, I believe you will have a great time with this book!
August 30, 2025
Thank you to the author and the publisher, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for sharing an ARC of this book with me !!!
“When the magic of the holiday starts glimmer overhead, when the Rees sway mightily to music that no one else can hear, Olivia finds herself on the she of the darkness, looking for retribution, looking for love, looking for a ghost who can find eternity before they disappear together again into the bark”
This book … surprised me. Bittersweet, dark, complicated, gothic, sweet, spicy, sad. I could potentially go on but I feel like I would do all of you a disservice because you need to experience it firsthand and developing your own opinion about it. Olivia is such a complex and interesting and powerful character. And Hunter … my heart breaks for him and the desperate way he was clinging onto the moonlight she was bringing in the darkness of his life. The fact that he was a widower pushed me even further into his trap and from the very first moment, I fell for him. Hard and undeniably, like I was not expecting. The way the author designed these two people and their story. An inevitable fall into being one in the sanctity and natural power of the dark forest. I think that is how I would describe it. I really enjoyed it !!!
“When the magic of the holiday starts glimmer overhead, when the Rees sway mightily to music that no one else can hear, Olivia finds herself on the she of the darkness, looking for retribution, looking for love, looking for a ghost who can find eternity before they disappear together again into the bark”
This book … surprised me. Bittersweet, dark, complicated, gothic, sweet, spicy, sad. I could potentially go on but I feel like I would do all of you a disservice because you need to experience it firsthand and developing your own opinion about it. Olivia is such a complex and interesting and powerful character. And Hunter … my heart breaks for him and the desperate way he was clinging onto the moonlight she was bringing in the darkness of his life. The fact that he was a widower pushed me even further into his trap and from the very first moment, I fell for him. Hard and undeniably, like I was not expecting. The way the author designed these two people and their story. An inevitable fall into being one in the sanctity and natural power of the dark forest. I think that is how I would describe it. I really enjoyed it !!!
September 21, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and victory editing for this free arc for an honest review opinion
I wanted this book to have more depth than it ultimately did. The gorgeous cover and unusual gothic holiday atmosphere definitely drew me in, and I was hoping for a rich holiday romance with a dark edge. Instead, the story leans much more heavily into horror, grief, and the supernatural than romance.
Some of the choices feel strange - the heroine kills without much remorse, while the hero stumbles across a naked woman in the forest and immediately wants to sleep with her. Their connection relies on eerie Christmas songs, which, when echoed back, unleash the woods themselves in a deadly way. It's imaginative, but also uneven at times, leaving me wishing for more substance and emotional depth.
That said, it is a quick read, and the gothic-holiday vibe is unique. The twists and strange plot turns do keep you turning the pages, even if the characters feel more like symbols than real people.
If you go in expecting an atmospheric horror tale with seasonal flair rather than a romance, you may enjoy it more.
Come back to your Review on the pub date, 25 Sep
I wanted this book to have more depth than it ultimately did. The gorgeous cover and unusual gothic holiday atmosphere definitely drew me in, and I was hoping for a rich holiday romance with a dark edge. Instead, the story leans much more heavily into horror, grief, and the supernatural than romance.
Some of the choices feel strange - the heroine kills without much remorse, while the hero stumbles across a naked woman in the forest and immediately wants to sleep with her. Their connection relies on eerie Christmas songs, which, when echoed back, unleash the woods themselves in a deadly way. It's imaginative, but also uneven at times, leaving me wishing for more substance and emotional depth.
That said, it is a quick read, and the gothic-holiday vibe is unique. The twists and strange plot turns do keep you turning the pages, even if the characters feel more like symbols than real people.
If you go in expecting an atmospheric horror tale with seasonal flair rather than a romance, you may enjoy it more.
Come back to your Review on the pub date, 25 Sep
September 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley & Victory Editing for allowing me to read this ARC.
I do feel like this book could have been a lot more gothic—the only real gothic atmosphere for me was the very beginning and the very end of the book. The middle felt very 'normal'.
I was completely hooked at the start, convinced this was going to be a four or maybe even five star read for me. The gothic vibes were absolutely beautiful—I feel that Elle Kaelee's writing really sings when she is writing scenes that are both historical and dark. But I did also feel that it fell flat throughout the rest of the book.
I do feel like a lot of the speech between characters was quite unnatural at points. I unfortunately didn't like either of the main characters. Olivia was so childlike mentally, and I get that she was only fourteen when she ran away into the forest but constantly giggling and clapping her hands like a little girl really ruined the romance and spicy scene for me. Hunter was completely brainwashed, and maybe that was on purpose, but I just didn't like how he He also only ever seemed to want to show her off, be possessive over her, or want to undress her at every moment. Despite still 'grieving' his late wife.
The characters seemed completely in love with one another at first sight, and I was hoping it would take a little more time for them to grow to love one another. A lot of the scenes seemed very stretched out to me, and it felt like not a lot happened on the whole. They met, spent some time at his house, went to a Christmas market, then his parent's house, and finally a ball. I found myself getting bored at around 40% and had to push myself to carry on reading.
The actual romance I did find quite cringey at points, and again the spice scene was tainted for me slightly due to how evidently brainwashed Hunter was.
I do think this would have worked so well being told from Olivia's POV—she was much more interesting, and it would have been such a nice twist to get her dark perspective on things. I did love the tree siren aspect, and the only redeeming part for me bumping this up to two stars was the ending, which was hauntingly devastating.
I do feel like this book could have been a lot more gothic—the only real gothic atmosphere for me was the very beginning and the very end of the book. The middle felt very 'normal'.
I was completely hooked at the start, convinced this was going to be a four or maybe even five star read for me. The gothic vibes were absolutely beautiful—I feel that Elle Kaelee's writing really sings when she is writing scenes that are both historical and dark. But I did also feel that it fell flat throughout the rest of the book.
I do feel like a lot of the speech between characters was quite unnatural at points. I unfortunately didn't like either of the main characters. Olivia was so childlike mentally, and I get that she was only fourteen when she ran away into the forest but constantly giggling and clapping her hands like a little girl really ruined the romance and spicy scene for me. Hunter was completely brainwashed, and maybe that was on purpose, but I just didn't like how he He also only ever seemed to want to show her off, be possessive over her, or want to undress her at every moment. Despite still 'grieving' his late wife.
The characters seemed completely in love with one another at first sight, and I was hoping it would take a little more time for them to grow to love one another. A lot of the scenes seemed very stretched out to me, and it felt like not a lot happened on the whole. They met, spent some time at his house, went to a Christmas market, then his parent's house, and finally a ball. I found myself getting bored at around 40% and had to push myself to carry on reading.
The actual romance I did find quite cringey at points, and again the spice scene was tainted for me slightly due to how evidently brainwashed Hunter was.
I do think this would have worked so well being told from Olivia's POV—she was much more interesting, and it would have been such a nice twist to get her dark perspective on things. I did love the tree siren aspect, and the only redeeming part for me bumping this up to two stars was the ending, which was hauntingly devastating.
September 21, 2025
✨ARC Review✨
📚Sweet Silver Bells by Elle Kaelee
📚 Single POV Gothic Romance | 255 Pages
📚 Releases September 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️.5/🌶️.5
Thank you to Naughty Nook PR and Elle for providing me with an advanced copy of Sweet Silver Bells. As always, my opinions are my own!
What to Expect:
🖤 Grumpy X (Eerie) Sunshine
🥀Found Family
🖤Haunted Hero
🥀She's Morally Grey
🖤Reverse Beauty and the Beast Retelling
🥀Touch Starved / Sensory Intimacy 🖤Secret Killer / Hidden Past
🥀Forbidden Love
🖤Emotional Resurrection
🥀Gothic Suburbia
🖤The Forest vs. Society
🥀Fish Out of Water
Ok I liked this book but it did have me questioning the MMCs thought and actions the entirety of the story. It also felt like it was a bit rushed and lacking in a few areas. There wasn’t a whole lot of build up or back up for the “relationship” between Olivia and Hunter. It was very instant obsession. While I enjoyed it, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. The ending felt a bit too sudden for me as well.
📚Sweet Silver Bells by Elle Kaelee
📚 Single POV Gothic Romance | 255 Pages
📚 Releases September 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️.5/🌶️.5
Thank you to Naughty Nook PR and Elle for providing me with an advanced copy of Sweet Silver Bells. As always, my opinions are my own!
What to Expect:
🖤 Grumpy X (Eerie) Sunshine
🥀Found Family
🖤Haunted Hero
🥀She's Morally Grey
🖤Reverse Beauty and the Beast Retelling
🥀Touch Starved / Sensory Intimacy 🖤Secret Killer / Hidden Past
🥀Forbidden Love
🖤Emotional Resurrection
🥀Gothic Suburbia
🖤The Forest vs. Society
🥀Fish Out of Water
Ok I liked this book but it did have me questioning the MMCs thought and actions the entirety of the story. It also felt like it was a bit rushed and lacking in a few areas. There wasn’t a whole lot of build up or back up for the “relationship” between Olivia and Hunter. It was very instant obsession. While I enjoyed it, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. The ending felt a bit too sudden for me as well.
August 29, 2025
I received a copy of this book from the author and am honored to share this completely honest review!
This book left me with tears in my eyes! Sweet Silver Bells is a haunting, yet beautiful story.
Olivia is a fascinating FMC that kept me on my toes because I was never quite sure what she was going to do next.
Hunter is supportive and open-minded, accepting Olivia unconditionally and I love him for that!
Sweet Silver Bells is dark, disturbing, and emotional, yet still incredibly festive with some very funny and cozy moments! 😍😂 There's also some very unsettling and horrific moments… Elle Kaelee seamlessly weaves together elements of fantasy, romance, and horror. Trust me, you gotta read it to believe it! It's so well done!
That's all I can say without spoilers. If you're a fan of Tim Burton and movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Violent Night, then I hope you give this book a chance! I think your dark and twisted heart will love it as much as I did! 🖤🎄
This book left me with tears in my eyes! Sweet Silver Bells is a haunting, yet beautiful story.
Olivia is a fascinating FMC that kept me on my toes because I was never quite sure what she was going to do next.
Hunter is supportive and open-minded, accepting Olivia unconditionally and I love him for that!
Sweet Silver Bells is dark, disturbing, and emotional, yet still incredibly festive with some very funny and cozy moments! 😍😂 There's also some very unsettling and horrific moments… Elle Kaelee seamlessly weaves together elements of fantasy, romance, and horror. Trust me, you gotta read it to believe it! It's so well done!
That's all I can say without spoilers. If you're a fan of Tim Burton and movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Violent Night, then I hope you give this book a chance! I think your dark and twisted heart will love it as much as I did! 🖤🎄
September 23, 2025
I wanted to enjoy this so much. I love magic that involves nature and well I love Christmas so to me this was going to be a sam dunk.
Sadly that was not the case, getting through the book was hard, the language was old and antiquated and the way that the two characters were with eachother knowing that when she had gone into the tree she was a child and coming out of it many years later very sexual just was a turn off for me. The whole thing was just uncomfortable.
I would like to thank #Netgalley and #VitoryEditing for the chance to read an eArc of #SweetSilverBells by #ElleKaelee in return for a fair and honest review.
Sadly that was not the case, getting through the book was hard, the language was old and antiquated and the way that the two characters were with eachother knowing that when she had gone into the tree she was a child and coming out of it many years later very sexual just was a turn off for me. The whole thing was just uncomfortable.
I would like to thank #Netgalley and #VitoryEditing for the chance to read an eArc of #SweetSilverBells by #ElleKaelee in return for a fair and honest review.
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