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Dark Manor Chronicles #2
Her Creation
Not yet published
Expected 25 Aug 26From USA Today bestselling author Jeneane O'Riley comes the next in a series of deliciously dark and whimsical standalone romances.
She brought him back from death.
Now he is the one thing she cannot survive losing.
In 1795, in a shadowed city of the Holy Roman Empire, Victoria Frankenstein is brilliant enough to rival any scientist, yet condemned to silence in a world that forbids women their power.
When her miracle surgeon father falls gravely ill, grief drives her to a heretical act. Beneath candlelight and prayers long abandoned, Victoria stitches life from death and calls a man back into cold flesh and waiting lungs.
What rises from her table is not a monster.
Bound to her by blood, breath, and the terrible intimacy of creation, he belongs to her in ways no living man ever could—and he knows it. He watches her. Learns her. Wants her with a hunger that borders on worship, and a possessiveness that should frighten her.
As desire coils into obsession, Victoria must face the truth she has always being wanted by her creation is a power she cannot control. His devotion is absolute, consuming, and beautiful, and in an empire that burns women for reaching beyond their place, loving him may be the most dangerous act of all.
Because she did not simply give him life. She made herself his reason for living.
And love, once stitched into existence, does not let go.
She brought him back from death.
Now he is the one thing she cannot survive losing.
In 1795, in a shadowed city of the Holy Roman Empire, Victoria Frankenstein is brilliant enough to rival any scientist, yet condemned to silence in a world that forbids women their power.
When her miracle surgeon father falls gravely ill, grief drives her to a heretical act. Beneath candlelight and prayers long abandoned, Victoria stitches life from death and calls a man back into cold flesh and waiting lungs.
What rises from her table is not a monster.
Bound to her by blood, breath, and the terrible intimacy of creation, he belongs to her in ways no living man ever could—and he knows it. He watches her. Learns her. Wants her with a hunger that borders on worship, and a possessiveness that should frighten her.
As desire coils into obsession, Victoria must face the truth she has always being wanted by her creation is a power she cannot control. His devotion is absolute, consuming, and beautiful, and in an empire that burns women for reaching beyond their place, loving him may be the most dangerous act of all.
Because she did not simply give him life. She made herself his reason for living.
And love, once stitched into existence, does not let go.
448 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Her Creation is a perfect weekend read if you’re in a mood for a gothic romance that is a retelling of Frankenstein set in late 1700s, but instead of a male Frankenstein, you got a female scientist named Victoria Frankenstein that creates a man back to life that is obsessed with her. I was so intrigued by this story and the fact we got a female Frankenstein!? I was all here for it!
“He would dance with her one day. Even if the world burned down around them, he would dance in its flames with her.”
The creation and love in here between our main characters felt powerful and dangerous. The slow burn tension was absolutely everything as it felt sharp but the gothic atmosphere brings this story to life. You can really feel the eerie and devotion out of the pages with the romance in this story and I think it fits so perfectly.
“He was beautiful and wonderful and everything she could have ever wanted. If only loving him wouldn’t ruin her—wouldn’t go against her father’s wishes.”
The way Inno studies her, watches her, and how utterly obsessed he becomes with Victoria is a beautiful hauntingly feeling that I truly enjoyed because it feels a bit suspenseful. Because you’re waiting for the moment how Victoria is going to handle this possessiveness. Is she going to be feared or begin to fall in love with something she created?
“You continue to call me a monster,” he said quietly, “but I was born only of the materials you chose. If I am grotesque, it is because you built me from pieces you deemed unworthy.”
Thank you so much Bloom Books for the chance to read this galley now over the weekend! It was truly a great read that fit perfectly for me and I cannot wait to read more from Jeneane 🖤
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
“He would dance with her one day. Even if the world burned down around them, he would dance in its flames with her.”
The creation and love in here between our main characters felt powerful and dangerous. The slow burn tension was absolutely everything as it felt sharp but the gothic atmosphere brings this story to life. You can really feel the eerie and devotion out of the pages with the romance in this story and I think it fits so perfectly.
“He was beautiful and wonderful and everything she could have ever wanted. If only loving him wouldn’t ruin her—wouldn’t go against her father’s wishes.”
The way Inno studies her, watches her, and how utterly obsessed he becomes with Victoria is a beautiful hauntingly feeling that I truly enjoyed because it feels a bit suspenseful. Because you’re waiting for the moment how Victoria is going to handle this possessiveness. Is she going to be feared or begin to fall in love with something she created?
“You continue to call me a monster,” he said quietly, “but I was born only of the materials you chose. If I am grotesque, it is because you built me from pieces you deemed unworthy.”
Thank you so much Bloom Books for the chance to read this galley now over the weekend! It was truly a great read that fit perfectly for me and I cannot wait to read more from Jeneane 🖤
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
May 24, 2026
-- thank you to netgalley and bloom for an arc copy of this story --
this book was probably my most anticipated release of the year. Jeneane is one of my auto buy authors and I had such high expectations for this book.....
and even then this book absolutely blew me away. I am a different person after reading this book.
Victoria is such a flawed character. I absolutely love the way she was written... showing all her struggles and stubbornness, while still having such a big heart for those she cared about in her life. Even after all the loss in her life, and the anticipation of more, she found comfort in a place she shouldn't have. As a woman (of the times) she risked her life, and her family to follow her dreams.... until everything started to go wrong all at once....
And then there's HIM. the creation. HER CREATION. She was his god. His whole world. She was the blood in his veins, the reason his heart beat, his reason for living. And even while he was still a corpse in the basement they had forged a strong connection that even after tragedy, near death, and fear - she couldn't stay away from the only man she ever wanted.
this book is very much a slow SLOWWWWWW burn. it is deep, it is heavy, and it is absolute perfection. there is no doubt that this story will be one that I will forever recommend. This book will be sitting on my heart for a long while and will definitely be one of the best books ive read this year.... if not one ive ever read. I couldn't recommend this more.
this book was probably my most anticipated release of the year. Jeneane is one of my auto buy authors and I had such high expectations for this book.....
and even then this book absolutely blew me away. I am a different person after reading this book.
Victoria is such a flawed character. I absolutely love the way she was written... showing all her struggles and stubbornness, while still having such a big heart for those she cared about in her life. Even after all the loss in her life, and the anticipation of more, she found comfort in a place she shouldn't have. As a woman (of the times) she risked her life, and her family to follow her dreams.... until everything started to go wrong all at once....
And then there's HIM. the creation. HER CREATION. She was his god. His whole world. She was the blood in his veins, the reason his heart beat, his reason for living. And even while he was still a corpse in the basement they had forged a strong connection that even after tragedy, near death, and fear - she couldn't stay away from the only man she ever wanted.
this book is very much a slow SLOWWWWWW burn. it is deep, it is heavy, and it is absolute perfection. there is no doubt that this story will be one that I will forever recommend. This book will be sitting on my heart for a long while and will definitely be one of the best books ive read this year.... if not one ive ever read. I couldn't recommend this more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What happens when love turns you into a monster?
In this gothic retelling, we are following Victoria Frankenstein and her quest to quietly learn everything about the human body from her surgeon father, society permitting. After the loss of her mother, grief follows Victoria like a shadow, impacting every facet of her life and igniting a passion for conquering resurrection. When her father falls ill, she is consumed with perfecting the process to resurrect the corpse he acquired for her experiment, which she has begun to have an unhealthy relationship with. What follows is a fascinatingly dark and grotesque relationship with death as her creation is brought to life.
Throughout this story we are confronted with many uncomfortable themes that beg the questions of what it means to love, what it means to be a monster, what it means to grieve, and what lengths we may be willing to go for love. This was broody, forbidden, at times shocking, and I couldn’t look away.
Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.
In this gothic retelling, we are following Victoria Frankenstein and her quest to quietly learn everything about the human body from her surgeon father, society permitting. After the loss of her mother, grief follows Victoria like a shadow, impacting every facet of her life and igniting a passion for conquering resurrection. When her father falls ill, she is consumed with perfecting the process to resurrect the corpse he acquired for her experiment, which she has begun to have an unhealthy relationship with. What follows is a fascinatingly dark and grotesque relationship with death as her creation is brought to life.
Throughout this story we are confronted with many uncomfortable themes that beg the questions of what it means to love, what it means to be a monster, what it means to grieve, and what lengths we may be willing to go for love. This was broody, forbidden, at times shocking, and I couldn’t look away.
Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Her Creation by Jeneane O’Riley is the second stand-alone book in her Dark Manor Chronicles series. After reading the first stand-alone book I was impatiently waiting for the release of Her Creation. This gothic retelling of Frankenstein switches the role of creator to a woman living in the 1700s. This novel made me feel so much. I felt the quiet feminine rage of being discounted simply because of being born a woman. The debilitating grief, loneliness, and sadness of the main characters really resonated. The love between the creature and creator was endearing, obsessive, and all together utterly devastating. The writing in this book was beautiful and poetic. I would definitely recommend this book to others looking for an emotional, gut-wrenching story that will leave you cheering for a morally black character. Inno and Victoria each obtained what they both desperately needed: one another.
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May 23, 2026Her Creation by Jeneane O'Riley is book 2 in the Dark Manor Chronicles and is published by Sourcebooks Bloom Books in Deluxe Edition.
The book can be read as a stand alone.
Set in the late 17 hundereds, Victoria Frankenstein is a brilliant scientist who can rival her male competition easily. But this is a mans world and she has to stay in the shadows.
And creating a new being from flesh and bone, unthinkable. But she does and now ahe has to live with the consequences.
Reading this book reminded me of Mary Shelley's famous book and nomen est omen they say.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading this romantasy, 4,5 stars.
The book can be read as a stand alone.
Set in the late 17 hundereds, Victoria Frankenstein is a brilliant scientist who can rival her male competition easily. But this is a mans world and she has to stay in the shadows.
And creating a new being from flesh and bone, unthinkable. But she does and now ahe has to live with the consequences.
Reading this book reminded me of Mary Shelley's famous book and nomen est omen they say.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading this romantasy, 4,5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews