Buried Souls: A Dark Gothic Horror Romance

by Isabella Khalidi

*The perfect blend of Fifty Shades of Grey meets The Others*


They say curiosity killed the cat. It seems they got it all wrong. Because this time, it might just kill... me.

Legend says there is an old house deep in the woods hidden away from the rest of the world whose halls have long been abandoned and left to rot in eternal solitude. It says great tragedy has marked the lands surrounding the Bear Mansion. That only ghosts and secrets buried in the past now haunt its hollow remains. Yet, the historian in me demands I investigate, so when I’m left stranded in the middle of nowhere after venturing out for answers, I find myself entering a world more sinister and twisted than I ever thought possible.

Once upon a time...yes, that’s how most fairytales go. Except, this is no fairytale, and there is no knight in shining armor. I’m trapped in a nightmare, and at the center of it–is he. A coldhearted and ruthless stranger that is more beast than man. A beautiful, broken enigma that I crave to solve. His darkness is irresistible, a danger I can’t deny. His touch addictive, an aphrodisiac I’m desperate to consume. So when I’m warned to stay away, of course it’s the last thing that I do.

Now I’m wandering those haunted halls, the shadows playing cruel tricks on me that make me run from fear. But I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, and nothing will keep me from discovering the truth.

Not even the devil of a man that might just be at the root of it аll.

AUTHOR'S NOTE This book contains a sinfully intense dark romance, very high spice, with forced proximity, 30+ year old main heroes, a deeply traumatized MMC, and scenes that will leave you questioning your morals. It is intended for mature audiences only due to strong language, scenes of violence, gore, and death, and explicit mature content. 18+ recommended.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2025

About the author

Isabella Khalidi is an adult dark romance & fantasy author. Her novels are deep and complex, filled with scorching romance that leaves the reader breathless and yearning for more. From an early age she has shown love for ancient lore and mythology, igniting her dream of one day becoming a successful author.

The Snows of Nissa is her first published novel, with the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles as her debut adult fantasy series.

Follow her on Instagram: isabellakhalidiauthor.

Reviews

[Kez Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an eerie blend of gothic horror and dark romance.
It's set in a haunting mansion in the forbidden woods, following a tale of a family's tragic history, and a woman who stumbles into the unknown.
It's cryptic and mysterious, and leaves you wondering what was real.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella had no business being this damn hot. NONE. I opened it expecting a moody little gothic vibe and instead got dragged into a haunted house where the ghosts weren’t the scariest thing—he was. And apparently? I liked it. A lot. 😳🔥
There is zero “hello, hi, how are you?”
It’s straight to:
“You will submit to me.”
And her entire soul says,
“…okay but why does that work for me???”
This book is 90% spice, 10% plot, and 100% feral chaos, and I devoured every unhinged page like I had no self-respect left. The atmosphere? Deliciously rotted. The tension? A fever dream. The MMC? A gorgeous, broken nightmare of a man that should be illegal in at least three states.
And then Isabella had the audacity—the AUDACITY—to drop end-of-book revelations that made me question my sanity, my morals, and everything I thought I understood about this world. I swear she handed me breadcrumbs and said, “Good luck, sweetheart,” while cackling in the distance.
Honestly? I wish this had been a full-length novel because I am starving for more. There are unanswered questions lingering in the walls of Bear Mansion like hungry ghosts, and I’m already clawing for the next piece of the story.
Dark. Sinful. Atmospheric. Unhinged.
Exactly the kind of horror-erotica I love to lose sleep over.
Isabella Khalidi, you’ve ruined me. And I’ll say thank you.

[Madison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea what actually happened in this book.


Thank you for the ARC.

[Beth’s Book Collection · Rating 4 out of 5]

”You’re not going anywhere. You belong to me now. And until I get what I’m owed, you are completely at my mercy.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

What you’ll find in this book:
- Dark Gothic Horror Erotic Thriller
- Forced Proximity
- Both Are 30+
- Fearless Historian FMC
- Kink Exploration
- Ancient Haunted Forest in Eastern Europe
- He Guides, She Submits
- Ghosts, Curses, Abandoned Places
- Deeply Traumatised MMC
- Grumpy x Sunshine

This is a dark gothic horror that meets erotic thriller in a short story that feels loosely inspired by goldilocks and the three bears but make it dark and hella spicy. A great book to read in between chunkier reads, easily to follow while still being perfectly intriguing and mysterious, it’s got me hoping that there will be future books to answer all of my questions because I am definitely intrigued. Isabella knows exactly what she is doing when it comes to blending together a dark and mysterious story with intense carefully crafted characters and spice that is searing.

Elena is a quiet and reserved historian who is fearlessly following a trail of whispers relating to an elusive long abandoned house called Bear mansion. Due to a series of unfortunate events Elena ends up stumbling upon the very mansion she was so desperately seeking, unfortunately she quickly realises that not everything as it seems. Swept up in the mystery of the house and the dark, brooding and powerful owner, Elena despite her better instincts begins to fall into the pull of desire she feels for the stranger that sets her blood ablaze.

This story gives strong saint meets sinner vibes. Elena starts off so innocent with her desire being solely to finish off her research paper, she doesn't intend of finding the darkness within the Bear mansion but once it finds her it has no intention of letting go. We read as Elena gives in go her darker desires within the irresistible pull she feels to Nikolas. Nikolas is mysterious, dark and possessive, frankly just how I like my dark fantasy men. He pushes Elena's buttons and alongside the mysterious house they find themselves in provide that heir of mystery that left me having more questions than answers.

Author: Isabella Khalidi
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: December 1st, 2025
Pages: 209

[Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚🩷 ARC Thoughts and First Impressions 🩷📚

THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK IS A DELICIOUSLY DERANGED FAIRYTALE THAT PUT MY NERVES, MY MORALS, AND MY KINDLE THROUGH WAR. 😭🔥

Imagine the dramatic obsession of that famous billionaire series mixed with the monstrous tension of “falling for something you should probably be running from.” That’s the vibe — and it is addictive.

We’ve got a heroine whose curiosity is basically a personality disorder at this point. She hears ONE creepy story about a house in the woods and immediately says:
“Let me just walk straight into danger like it’s my 9–5.”
And honestly? I adore her for it. 😂🖤

And then there’s him.
The man.
The myth.
The walking, breathing, emotionally damaged hurricane.
He’s all sharp edges, hidden torment, and “if you touch him wrong he WILL bite.” And somehow… we want him to. 😳🔥

Every scene between them feels like: 🥀 tension
🥀 fear
🥀 chemistry
🥀 questionable life choices
🥀 and pure, feral ENERGY

Forced proximity??
YES.
Gothic mansion chaos??
ABSOLUTELY.
Touch-starved monster of a man who would burn the world before letting her leave??
I NEED HIM IN A GLASS BOX SOMEWHERE. 😭🔥

This book gives: 🩷 Beauty-and-the-Beast but make it morally grey and VERY grown
🩷 eerie, atmospheric halls whispering “turn back” while she says “lol no”
🩷 obsession, trauma, danger, desire — all tangled up
🩷 scenes that made me hide my Kindle from the sunlight
🩷 spice levels that should come with a warning siren

I was clutching my blanket, kicking my feet, covering my mouth, AND questioning my sanity all at once. It is dark, twisty, intense, and so deliciously unhinged. A perfect blend of gothic mystery + monster romance + “why am I attracted to this?” energy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — I inhaled this ARC. It owns me now.

[Lara Loves Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Be afraid, little lamb. Be very afraid.”

This dark gothic paranormal romance reads like a misty haunted fever dream. Filled with magical realism and wrapped in an erotic thriller, this story of a woman who loses her way and ends up at the haunted and supposedly deserted Bear Mansion hovers the line between dreams and reality.

Elena is an independent, inquisitive historian, and she has survived her own traumatic events which gives her character complexity that’s accentuated by her life experience (+30) making her highly relatable for me. Sexually repressed, Elena is both frightened and enthralled by the home owner, Nik, who is not only mysterious, grumpy and controlling, he also likes his woman to submit to his dominance. As a deeply traumatized MMC, I found myself attracted to his wounded morally grey personality, and I wouldn’t complain about being a guest in his bedroom 🥵— even though the mansion and forest surrounding it is beyond creepy.

At its core, this is a haunting story of a woman’s taboo sexual awakening as the past keeps threading its fingers around her reality. This one sticks with you, and I will be going back for a re-read. With elements of gothic horror and erotica, ghosts, curses and a sinfully hot MC set in a haunted Eastern European forest, this suspenseful and expertly written novel is not one to miss!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Ashley Van Durmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you ever have a book leave you going what did I just read and please may I have some more?

For me that was Buried Souls - this book takes you on a gothic horror journey trying to get you to figure out what is going on and just when you think you know, you really have no idea.

Elena is a historian that studies old buildings and when she gets word of the elusive Bear mansion she goes in search of it for her final research paper. But she will soon discover there is more than a beautiful mansion that lurks in the dark and he goes by the name Nikolas.

Now that Nikolas has Elena in his grasp he will not let her go easily and the only way she may escape is by submission. But he is not the only thing haunting the Bear mansion halls and while Elena is trying to solve the mystery, she keeps getting herself in trouble and having to be punished 😏

Though Nikolas may be grumpy, Elena sees there is more to him than meets the eye and she wants to uncover his secrets.

Though I had an idea of some aspects of the story, I literally at the end said out loud what just happened in the best possible way. This story sucks you end and will leave you begging for more.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟🌟ARC review🌟🌟

Rating: ★★★★☆

Wow. Buried Souls is a deliciously dark blend of suspense, horror, and steamy romance. From the first moment, the Bear Mansion pulls you into its haunted, decaying halls, and the tension never lets up. I loved how the story balances the eerie, almost Gothic atmosphere with an addictive, dangerous romance that feels both thrilling and forbidden.

The FMC curiosity is utterly relatable, and watching her navigate a nightmare filled with secrets, shadows, and a man who is both ruthless and irresistible had me on edge and rooting for her at the same time. The chemistry between the characters is scorching, but it’s the sinister, twisted mystery of the mansion and its past that keeps you glued to the pages.

If you love dark, intense stories with a mix of fear, passion, and intrigue, this one delivers in spades. Just…be prepared to lose sleep—you won’t be able to put it down.

[Hallowyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

⋆｡°✩ ᴀʀᴄ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ✩°｡⋆

ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ : Buried Souls
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ : Isabella Khalidi
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ: E-book

Tropes:
⚬ Forced Proximity
⚬ Grumpy x Sunshine
⚬ Dark Gothic Erotic Thriller
⚬ Trauma
⚬ 30+ MCs
⚬ Hauntings

This book is your for your darker side. Be warned! Its a a beautiful gothic thriller that gives you goosebumps and keeps you on your toes!

It is about Elena and Nikolas (brb while the vampire diaries fangirl in me squeals). Elena is a historian and wants to do more research at a mansion for her final paper. Nikolas is dark force behind the hauntings.

This book is spiceyyyyyy! Like kick your feet and giggle spicy! Its a shorter story that is more romance than story but don't worry there is a good plot along the way! I loved it and the ending gives you some inside nuggets onto what has been happening!

I hope we get the next piece of the tale soon cos i just know we are not done with Bear Mansion just yet!

[giuls_inktales · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I just read.

What. I. Just. Read.

And no, it can't be a stand-alone. Absolutely not. I want this story to continue!

I read it in a day and a half, if not less, and it completely captivated me.

The writing flows, the characters come to life right off the page, and they're so ambiguous and still so mysterious that they give me chills.

Well-written spicy scenes, because it's not quantity but quality that makes the difference, and that was evident here.

I swear I still don't know what to think because everything happened so fast and I still have a thousand questions!

And the ending? It left me speechless and made me go back and reread the prologue a thousand times...

I loved it. That's it.


Just one thing, always check the triggers.


I sincerely thank the author for sending me the eARC. 💚

[Morgan G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 rounded to 4

This is a gothic novella filled with fast-paced heat, the perfect amount of creepy/horror elements, and an ending that will have you questioning everything. I liked that Elena was a historian, and the cursed legends surrounding the Bear Mansion that have her curious for more. There's instant lust with Nikolas, and let me tell you, the spice was fiery hot. Please check trigger warnings prior to reading the book.

Because this is a novella, the pace moves fast, and there were quite a few open-ended questions that left me wanting more of the characters. This could have been a full-length novel for sure. The real beauty in the work, though, is in the descriptions. The location is haunting, the vibes spectacular, and the hints of horror left me with chills. I'll be checking out more from this author.

[The Body Count Book Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I loved the beautiful descriptions of the places in the book, I am still so confused. The plot is very fast moving and the ending honestly made little sense and felt like a cliffhanger... yet this is a stand alone. The spice was very intense (which I did not mind at all) but the word choices were honestly a bit cringe-y in my opinion. The spicy scenes felt forced at times and took away from the overall plot. And there was very little horror elements in the book. I think if the book had been longer and had more clues or explanations for the mystery within it would have been a fantastic novel. Instead I feel like I was left with an incomplete story and an ending that has me wondering what in the f*** did i just read. It definitely has potential but as it stands this just wasn't for me.

[Megan Cowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the hell did I just read… and when can I get more of it?

This is deranged, and fun, and dark, and SPICY 🥵 the perfect blend of spice and what the f*ck.

It’ll leave you with so many questions, heightened emotions, and wondering where the heck you can find someone just as dark and crazy as Nicholas.

I also loved the sexual awakening of the FMC, Elena. I believe that every woman should explore her sexuality and really find out the things that she likes. The fact that we got to see that with Elena was a perfect blend into the book.

I could go on and on but I think Buried Souls is just a book you need to read for yourself!

Plot 3/5 ⭐️
Spice 5/5 🌶️

[Lost in the Library23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything Isabella writes, I 🦃gobble🦃 up!! This is a short book but packed with all the gothic thrills and sexy moments.

Elena, a historian writing a thesis on old historical buildings, stumbles upon a dilapidating manor in a spooky wood. Cold and afraid, she enters the manor only to meet its mysterious older owner, Niko. An undeniable pull keeps the MMC and FMC close but still at a distance.


You’ll like this if you like:
-spooky eerie gothic vibes
-instalust/insta love
-K-ink exploration
-SUPER spicy times

Thank you Isabella for the ARC 🫶

[Katherine Elley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elena is the FMC and she’s a historian and is writing a thesis on old abandoned buildings. She meets Olga an old woman who tells her of a tale of the Bear Mansion.
According to legends it’s cursed. Don’t wonder into the woods.
After her cab breaks down, Elena wonders into the woods comes across Bear Mansion.
She meets Hunter and Rein and their brother Nikolas (Niko). He wants to make Elena his. He becomes possessive over her.
Dark, kinky, gothic. After reading that ending I want more. Isabella is a new author to me. Definitely going to be reading more of her books.

[Enelyae Is Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soooooo……definitely an interesting read. I am left with a whole lot of questions. I think I have more now at the end than I did at the beginning of the book. Definitely like the gothic vibes and certainly liked Nicolas’s vibes, if you know what I mean 😏.

Also, just gonna say, does Elena have no fear….lol. It’s like her curiosity outweighs all fear and she just ignores all the big gigantic red flags in her face! 😆 I did have a fun time though, but I feel like I needed more time to connect with the characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Samantha Howard-Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I move to a forest

As soon as I pick up a book by Isabella I’m generally hooked. I could feel the atmosphere of the forest as I devoured the pages, I could almost feel the fog on my skin and hear the whispers behind me. Unbelievable story I loved it, I was incredibly relieved to see the words to be continued at the end. If you don’t like spice don’t pick this up, but for me although the spice is fun and I love how unapologetic the writing is, it’s the story that’s pulls me in and the connection between the characters, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good gothic novella. The FMC Elena wanders into a mansion in the woods occupied by three men. From there the story takes a dark and twisty but spicy turn. It was a lot of spice and was fast paced, but it did not take away from anything as it was well written. The ending to this was very unexpected. It left me wondering what was real and what was not. I hope we get a second novella as I have questions I would love to read the answers to.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark novella loosely based on Goldilocks and the three bears!

“Sweet little lamb, I’m going to ruin you.” He threatens. “You should know better than to come into a strangers house uninvited.” - ooft! Niko!!

I absolutely loved the gothic vibes this book was giving off.

This is also packed with spice!

And that ending… what!!!! Leave me to question absolutely everything why don’t you! 😂

[Silvia LD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goldilocks, but make it horror and ultra spicy. From the first page of these books vibes are immaculate, they are eerie, Gothic, spooky, with a chilling horror that will keep you reading even if you want to hide. The powerplay in this book is incredible, the spice is mind blowing, and the ending had me gasping. Absolutely top read.

[Jamie Herring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where here do I even start?!?? This book had so many twists and turns that it had my head spinning but I couldn’t put it down. From start to finish, this book was beyond phenomenal! If you want something that is gonna have you hooked and has plenty of spice this is it.

[Dark Romance Obsessed Siren · Rating 5 out of 5]

🧜‍♀️ARC Review🧜‍♀️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

This Goldilocksesque tale weaves gothic horror with a touch of dark, aching romance. It’s fastpaced , unsettling, and lingers long after the last page, leaving you to question what was ever real. this was a fantastically spicy good time!

[valley_girl_36 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow !! New to me author has blown me away! I love this story and all the spooks that come with it!! Hot and heart pounding in so many different ways… I may have to reread this one again and certainly recommend to my friends

[Tawny Xu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this. It gave Haunting of Hill House vibes, straight away. I loved the ominious backstory and how things just weren't really what they seemed.
I devoured this in a single sitting and I'll be honest, I definitely have questions that I want answers to. I'm hoping there is another story for this couple because I need to know more like my life depends on it.
It was spooky, beautiful and while it was mostly spice, it hit all the right spots!

[Stephanie Vicente · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how this had some beautiful descriptions of the places and the eerie blend of gothic horror and dark romance vibes were what had caught my attention. this was fast paced and it did leave me with some questions and I was confused in some parts. I loved the gothic vibes of this and had a good time reading this book , but I'm hoping there is another story for this couple that will answer some of the questions I had after reading this one. this was the perfect mix of beautiful and spooky all in one book.