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Under The Pines
In the hush beneath the pines, Edward has learned how to live without wanting too much. The house makes that easy. It keeps his silences warm, his days orderly, his past tucked behind doors that never open unless the walls decide they’re ready.
Then she appears on a dating app with one simple I like people who make silence feel full.
Their connection isn’t fireworks. It’s a quiet click, like a lock turning. A recognition neither of them can explain, but the house can.
When she arrives, the rooms begin to shift. Mirrors stop reflecting and start remembering. A linen closet holds something that wasn’t there yesterday. A hallway stretches where it shouldn’t. And then the house offers a fourth door, one that has never existed and has always been waiting.
Told through alternating journal entries, Under the Pines is an atmospheric gothic romance about tenderness and dread, about the ways we protect ourselves, and the terrifying intimacy of being truly seen. Because some love stories don’t begin with meeting.
They begin with returning.
Then she appears on a dating app with one simple I like people who make silence feel full.
Their connection isn’t fireworks. It’s a quiet click, like a lock turning. A recognition neither of them can explain, but the house can.
When she arrives, the rooms begin to shift. Mirrors stop reflecting and start remembering. A linen closet holds something that wasn’t there yesterday. A hallway stretches where it shouldn’t. And then the house offers a fourth door, one that has never existed and has always been waiting.
Told through alternating journal entries, Under the Pines is an atmospheric gothic romance about tenderness and dread, about the ways we protect ourselves, and the terrifying intimacy of being truly seen. Because some love stories don’t begin with meeting.
They begin with returning.
124 pages, Paperback
Published December 23, 2025
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 4, 2026
“Under the Pines” by Becky Gargan is a deliberately disorienting novella that immerses the reader in a mind-bending journey through fragmented memory. The story follows an unnamed protagonist as she chooses to confront memories she has long forgotten, unfolding across conflicting timelines that blur the line between past and present. This intentional confusion places the reader directly inside the protagonist’s fractured reality, making the experience unsettling and thought-provoking.
Gargan’s writing itself is strong and engaging, effectively supporting the psychological depth of the story. However, the reading experience is somewhat hindered by formatting issues, including inconsistent font changes and misplaced commas, likely due to publishing software errors. Despite these technical flaws, the novella succeeds in what it sets out to do: challenge the reader’s perception and embrace confusion as a narrative tool.
Overall, Under the Pines is a compelling and cerebral read for those who enjoy stories that intentionally disrupt clarity and demand active interpretation from the reader
Gargan’s writing itself is strong and engaging, effectively supporting the psychological depth of the story. However, the reading experience is somewhat hindered by formatting issues, including inconsistent font changes and misplaced commas, likely due to publishing software errors. Despite these technical flaws, the novella succeeds in what it sets out to do: challenge the reader’s perception and embrace confusion as a narrative tool.
Overall, Under the Pines is a compelling and cerebral read for those who enjoy stories that intentionally disrupt clarity and demand active interpretation from the reader
Displaying 1 of 1 review