In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts

by Gwendolyn Kiste

Stoker winner Gwendolyn Kiste holds up a dark, queer mirror to The Great Gatsby in In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts, a haunting exploration of the obsession and control at the edges of an American classic.

In 1955, Daisy Buchanan is found dead in an abandoned West Egg mansion, but her daughter Mel knows she's really been gone for years. No one knows whether Daisy was murdered, or if it was a simpler, slower death: her yearslong spiral of alcohol, abuse, and helplessness. But when Mel enters the estate, she finds Daisy's ghost, somehow frozen at twenty-three, and a charming, bleeding phantom that used to be Jay Gatsby.

To free her mother, Mel must carve a path through family secrets and decaying revelers: deep into Gatsby’s starving house, as it gorges itself on unfulfilled love and grows stronger every night.

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Adult, Gothic, Fantasy, Queer, Historical

176 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 15, 2026

About the author

Gwendolyn Kiste is the four-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens, Reluctant Immortals, The Haunting of Velkwood, Boneset & Feathers, and Pretty Marys All in a Row, among others. Her short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in outlets including Lit Hub, Nightmare, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Vastarien, Tor Nightfire, Titan Books, and The Dark. She's a Lambda Literary Award winner, and her fiction has also received the This Is Horror award for Novel of the Year as well as nominations for the Shirley Jackson, Premios Kelvin, Ignotus, and Dragon awards.

Originally from Ohio, she now resides on an abandoned horse farm outside of Pittsburgh with her husband, their excitable calico cat, and not nearly enough ghosts. Find her online at gwendolynkiste.com

Reviews

[BookishKB · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts ✨

I can appreciate the attempt at a queer Great Gatsby retelling, but this one just fell flat for me. It felt too short to fully explore the ideas it was reaching for, which left the story feeling underdeveloped and a bit too fast paced.

🖤 What to Expect
• Queer gothic horror
• Great Gatsby reimagining
• Haunted mansion
• Ghostly mother
_ _ _
⭐ Final Score: 2.5
📅 Pub Date: September 15, 2026
📝 Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Johanna Van]

I blurbed this one!

"Clever, compelling, and creepy: In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is the sapphic sequel to The Great Gatsby we have all been waiting for as fervently as Gatsby waited for Daisy."

[Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 very solid stars)

At the forefront of this novella is Daisy’s and Mel’s mother-daughter relationship. It’s complex, difficult but inevitably soo emotional too. And without spoiling, just let me say that this novella raised so many questions within me such as how much of our parents is in us? How much are we alike? How much of our past or the one of our parents define us and how do you learn to live with your past without wanting to erase certain points?
To put it mildly, this was veryyy emotional, even more so at the end. Especially because in the very end, it felt like I was reading a story which teaches me to learn how to let go, of the past, of people long gone and in a way even people who are still very much alive and mean so much to one but hinder us to move on in a way. And all of this, to get your own chance to live a life according to your own terms. Which is exactly why I would say this is so very emotional but also a really important read. Moreover, it was very well written and put together in a way that I wish it would’ve been longer and had even more detail. Though, I gotta admit, reading this almost made me nostalgic to read ‘The Great Gatsby’ again (haha).
Overall, I really really enjoyed reading this and I can recommend this a thousand times. It’s really sooo good!!

Ps: We all surely had a Jordan in our life, I know for sure I had one 🙂‍↕️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this novella in exchange for an honest and voluntarily given review!

[brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an advanced reader copy from netgalley!

I gave this book 3 stars because while I really enjoyed the horror aspects of the book, and I enjoyed the writing of the horror scenes, I found the characters kind of lackluster and missing something as well as the dialogue felt like it was missing something.
I also didn't really feel a connection between any of the characters.

But the horror parts were written really well which I feel saved this book from going in my DNF pile.

[A Bookish Little Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: These Gilded Ghostly Hearts
Author: Gwendolyn Kiste
Publisher: Creature Publishing
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

​What happens when the flamboyance of the 1920s decays into the cold reality of 1955? In These Gilded Ghostly Hearts, Gwendolyn Kiste crafts a brilliant, heart-wrenching gothic horror sequel to The Great Gatsby that handles generational trauma and historical tragedy with absolute mastery.

​The story follows Pamela Buchanan, the daughter of the infamous Daisy. Daisy is dead, found in the crumbling, ectoplasm-infused ruins of Gatsby’s old mansion. Trapped there by a predatory charlatan named Harrison, Daisy’s spirit is suddenly young again, locked in the past she spent thirty years longing for. It’s up to Pam, her "sister-figure" Jordan Baker, and Harrison to free her. But as Pam digs into West Egg’s history, she realizes the house itself harbors a sentient, gluttonous malice that isn't ready to let the Buchanan family go.

​At its core, this is a story about loss: the loss of parents, the sting of unrequited love, and the heavy burden of family wreckage. Kiste brilliantly explores Pam’s internal struggles as a queer woman navigating the terrifying "Lavender Scare" of the 1950s. Pam’s quiet, aching love for her friend Vera acts as a beautiful counterweight to the literal ghosts of her parents' past.

​Pamela's analysis of her mother is devastatingly sharp. Daisy is a character to be both pitied and despised—a spoiled socialite trapped by her times, whose emotional absence haunted Pam long before her physical death. For years, the only way to be close to Daisy was to be close to death.

​Without giving away the explosive climax, the return of classic Gatsby characters shifts the narrative into a chaotic, breathless rhythm where the boundaries between the living and the dead entirely dissolve. The story delivers a profoundly satisfying, heart-wrenching resolution that forces Pam to decide whether she will succumb to her family's tragic legacy or finally break the cycle to face a loving future of her own making.

​Kiste hits every single note perfectly. A masterclass in gothic horror and literary continuation.

​Likes:
​Fast pacing paired with a deeply flawed, fiercely relatable main character.
​A brilliant, seamless integration of The Great Gatsby lore and themes.
​Classic characters felt entirely natural to the spooky environment, not forced.

​Dislikes:
​Left me craving just a bit more backstory on the mysterious dynamic between Harrison and his assistant, Lili!

Many favorite quotes to come after official publication!

Thank you Creature Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[E.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read The Great Gatsby (yet) so I can't tell how close to the original story this sequel of sort is, but the author did a good job at giving me enough of the original story that I never felt lost.

If you're looking for a scary haunted mansion or an action pack novella, this isn't the book for you. This book is slow, very introspective, and all about Mel and her learning to let go of the past, of her mother, of family bagages.

Daisy wasn't a good mother by any stretch of the imagination so I understand why some people wouldn't understand Mel need to save her, but I get it. I know people who should let go of parents that aren't and have never been good for them or to them, but they can't. I witnessed the anguish and the desire to let go while being unable to "fail their duties" and I saw that in Mel in lot. Maybe my own experience colors my liking for the character but I really liked her and I was rooting for her all the way, knowing she would get there eventually and mentally nudging her forward.

I also enjoyed the other characters, they're all flawed (expect Nora. Nora deserved to be more fleshed out in my opinion because she was mostly just a plot device and she deserved better) and not all of them grow from the story. I think you'll enjoy them even more if you've read the original story.

And I really liked the atmosphere. I don't usually like historical , but I figured I could deal with 20th century and I did enjoy it. I liked how queer the story was and the hint of how difficult life could be for queer folks in the 50's but the book also doesn't dwell on it. It's a realistic background, not the main focus and I appreciated that in a story that was already emotionally heavy.

The writing is very lush, very old fashioned, clearly a well thought decision that fit the story. It can be a bit much at times, but it fits the vibe and I don't think the story would have worked in another writing style. It needed to be grandiose and over the top because Gatsby and his whole parties were.

I'm really glad I gave this book a try. This wasn't what I expected going in, because like I said the haunted mansion wasn't scary at all and I wouldn't really call this horror, but the story I got instead was worth my time. It was sad, hopeful, and touching in ways I wasn't expecting.

A copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Rebecca Mazzarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the retelling of the famous book "The Great Gatsby", which has always held an indescribable fascination, especially for what happens to him and the heartbreaking story of love and friendship.

This book is about Pamela/Mel Buchanan, Daisy's daughter, who tries to heal the wounds of a difficult past with a mother lost in her memories and her great love for Gatsby.

"The only way to be close to my mother was to be close to death."

I loved the ghostly part, the haunted house and the queer love. I love to meet old friends like Nick.
I hoped until the end that Mel would do the right thing, which isn't always easy, especially in the 1950s, where queer love was not accepted by society.
The haunted house is a dominant part of the novel; everything revolves around the house where Gatsby held his parties and where he met his death in the novel.

"Sometimes, the house forgets what it's doing. It can't always remember how to put the ghosts togheter again."
"But the house never forgets you." I gaze at him, at that perfect face. Something like an angel. Or maybe more like the second cousin of the devil. "You don't fade away like the others."

I loved the ghosts and the unique way of describing them, of bringing the past to life in such a "sticky" way that seems like the underlying theme of the novel: that it's difficult to detach ourself from the past and our own history.

It's not a scary book, but it's fascinating and at times disturbing. The author did a good job of conveying the melancholy of Gatsby and the 1920s, which, despite their opulence, concealed something akin to sadness, loneliness, and uncertainty beneath the veneer.

The author's writing is fluid and descriptive. I appreciated Mel's sensitivity, the way she handled her feelings while keeping them hidden and respecting the taboos of those years.
The writer also respected Nick—my favorite character from the original novel—I found him again, just like finding a friend after a long time.
I loved the metaphors she used to describe the places and the sensations, transporting me along with her in this truly captivating story.

Thank you so much to the writer and NetGalley for this incredible opportunity.
I can't wait for it to come out so I can buy it in paperback and add it to my library.
Rebecca

[Finding Sky Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a nutshell: An amazing sapphic retelling of Gatsby, following Pamela, the daughter of Daisy. This is a story of losing a parent, discovering family secrets, letting go of the past, navigating life in the 1950s as a queer person and of course haunted mansions. 

What I loved: Immediately, I will start by saying that the way this book is written is beautiful. It definitely fits the theme and time period that it describes within each page. As someone who hasn't read Gatsby, it was easy to follow, and so I picked things up relatively quickly.

Pam's relationship with her mother was...not great. You can feel from the very start that her mother's priorities were very self-focused. That being said, I can understand why Pam just couldn't let her mother go and felt the need to "save her." I feel like it comes with that time period and the need to fulfill your role.

I loved the addition of Jordan and the relationship between her and Pam. Immediately, I thought there was definitely some romance there; perhaps in another life, it may have been the case. I loved how much care Jordan showed Pam every step of the way, not to mention how she embodied confidence and glamour in such an effortless way, whilst also keeping herself mysterious.

It was then a nice contrast to see Pam and Vera interacting, both craving a certain type of future and freedom but feeling the confines of the current world around them. I think the interpersonal relationships throughout this were my favorite, for sure! 
Gatsby was just as I had imagined him to be, and with his entry into the story, we find ourselves shifting into the great world of the Gatsby parties. However, the parties are quite literally oozing, the guests starving, and it's Pam who needs to figure out what is going on with Gatsby and his haunted house of ghosts.

My least fav parts: I do feel like, perhaps, it could have been longer. Only because I would have loved to be able to dive into some of the characters more.

Memorable quote: "“Do you think it was hungry back when you went to Gatsby’s parties?”
“Oh, darling,” Jordan says with a sly grin, “that house was positively starving.”

[Hannah Deverall · Rating 3 out of 5]

In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts by Gwendoline Kiste returns to the world of The Great Gatsby, examining how the events of the novel impacted Mel Buchannan, the daughter of Daisy and Thomas. After the sudden death of her mother, Daisy Buchannan, Mel is persuaded by her family friend (and long-time crush) Jordan Baker and a medium looking for fame to return to the site of her death. She finds herself attending the ghosts of Gatsby's parties in the West Egg each night, and trying to figure out why her mother's phantom is stuck there, frozen at the age of 23. Mel must figure out what is going on before it is too late, and move on from the past that haunts her so.

Personally, I found this book just didn't hit the mark. The characters felt a bit annoying and whiny at times, and just flat in general, and for such a short book, it definitely dragged at times. I normally enjoy Kiste's work, but this really was not it for me. I would have loved more interactions with Mel and some of the other characters, especially Gatsby and Vera, as I felt that they were really integral to the plot but weren't present for enough of the story.

If you're looking for other Gatsby retellings, I would recommend The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (Jordan Baker-centric, with a sinister magical twist done much better than in this work) and Self-made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore (t4t Nick and Jay), which have (in my opinion) far more developed characters and plot. Overall I give this 3/5 stars. It was a slog for me to read, but I can see how some people would really enjoy it. Thank you to Creature Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Andrea Blythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of In These Gilded Ghostly Hearts from the author Gwendolyn Kiste, whose work I continue to admire with each new horror novel or story she puts out into the world. And I feel much the same about this new book, which is set in the world of The Great Gatsby.

Mel has had an estranged relationship with her mother Daisy Buchanan for years. Even when they lived together, Mel has always known that her mother was never really there, lost to abuse, alcohol, and the ghosts of her past. But when Daisy is found dead in an abandoned West Egg mansion in 1955, Mel follows her mother out to the estate, where she meets a would-be psychic promising that she will be able to communicate with her mother again. Instead, she encounters the charming Jay Gatsby, still the center of the swirling, dancing spirt memories of the massive parties he once through, still longing for the Daisy he once lost.

Kist writes her ghosts with a gilded edge, evoking the grandeur of Gatsby’s parties with a sense of crowded, lush vibrancy layered with the dripping, rot of those long since dead. This is a past that will not let go, the revelers still lost in the lust and greed of their festivities. Even the mansion itself is hungry, clinging to and feeding off of the desires of the living. All of which makes Mel’s attempt to free her mother from the house extremely dangerous.

Kiste’s supernatural story feels like a fitting continuation. The 1950s she presents is vastly different from the 1920s opulence in the original Gatsby, and yet, the tale circles many of the same themes regarding wealth, capitalism, and the great longing for what we can seem to have — be it success or love.

[sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to edelweiss for the arc! please don't let my haterism dissuade you from reading this;
maybe you'll love it, but I sure didn't. Typically I try to dnf arcs if I know I won't like them, but this was so squarely in my niche (gay gatsby genre fiction) that i couldn't resist finishing it. I went in with a generous heart, but I couldn't ignore the boring character work and the juiceless horror (ironic). I regret to inform you that even being gay as fuck could not save this book. Yes, I'm sad about it too.

Conceptually, this is solid — Daisy's daughter investigating Gatsby's haunted house IS cool — but if you're doing Gatsby fanfic you simply Have to bring something to the table not already explored by the original text. and this really doesn't. everyone reading this novella will probably have read the original, or at least have cultural knowledge of the character's archetypes, which makes every agonizingly repetitive sentence about Tom/Daisy/Gatsby/Nick spelling out their feelings and motives VERY boring. The only character with original flavor is Jordan, and I'm giving her a whole extra star for being the milfy bisexual ladykiller of my dreams. Hello and god bless. She was complicated and interesting and not wholly transparent, unlike literally every other character.

My biggest gripe: retellings don't ever require the author to prove to the reader that they know the original back to front. It's always tedious and it's bad storytelling.





and also you cannot use "aw shucks" as an adjective, and you certainly can't do it TWICE

[The Lit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This latest dive into Gothic fiction has left me with a few lingering chills and a bit of uncertainty. In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is a haunting tale that attempts to balance historical elegance with a supernatural edge.
​I’m giving this a 3-star review! ⭐⭐⭐
​A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this story. As always, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
​The Review:
This was an interesting read, but I’m settling on three stars. While the atmosphere is undeniable, I found myself waiting for a bit more momentum to carry me through the middle of the book. It is a beautifully written story, but it didn't quite reach the heights I was hoping for in a Gothic thriller.
​The Good:
Gwendolyn Kiste is a master of atmosphere. The "gilded" setting feels lush and oppressive in all the right ways, making the "ghostly" elements feel grounded in the world. The prose is evocative and poetic, perfectly suiting the dark, historical tone of the narrative.
​The Not-So-Good:
The pacing felt a bit sluggish at times, with the plot occasionally getting lost in the descriptive language. I also found it difficult to fully connect with the characters' motivations during certain key turning points, which made the stakes feel a little more distant than I would have liked

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

“These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts” is the sapphic, light horror sequel to the Great Gatsby you didn’t know you needed. If you’re into feminist retelling of popular fiction, this is the book for you.

Torn between the last and the present, the main character, a Mary Sue-style character, bucks the norms of the horror genre by taking the narrative into her hands in the book’s final chapters. While the plot does largely happy TO her as opposed to being driven BY her, she makes big decisions at pivotal moments that give the narrative a satisfying edge.

While I’m not always a fan of books without a “perfect” happy ending or resolution (a character flaw on my part), the novels closes in a way that fits the tone of the book - a little hopeful, a lot nostalgic, with some mild to medium trauma thrown in.

If you’ve been wanting to dip your toe into the horror or gothic-style of sapphic fiction, but been a little too chicken to do so, this would be a perfect intro to the genre. Just creepy and mildly gross enough to give you goose bumps, not scary enough to nightmares (I am a notorious scaredy cat, so I still read this during the day JUST IN CASE).

Overall, a compelling read that fits well into the genre and brings its own personal flair.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt very me in some ways… and then also like it didn’t fully give me everything I wanted.

I went into In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts really excited because the concept is so good—Gatsby but haunted, queer, and a little twisted? I’m in. And honestly, the atmosphere delivered. The house, the ghosts, the whole decaying, stuck-in-time feeling… it was eerie in that quiet, unsettling way I love. Not scary, but definitely haunting.

But this is one of those reads that leans way more into mood than story. It’s very dreamy, very emotional, very “sit in the feeling”… and I needed just a little more substance. I wanted more depth with the characters, more connection, and honestly more time for everything to breathe. The relationships, especially, could’ve hit harder.

I didn’t dislike it at all—it was quick, different, and I appreciate what it was trying to do. I just didn’t feel fully pulled in the way I wanted to be.

This feels like a solid 3.5 stars for me.

If you love gothic vibes, ghost stories, and books that are more about atmosphere than plot, you’ll probably enjoy this. I just wish it went a little deeper because it had the potential to be a 4+ star read for me.

[Victoria Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review - Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

First off, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was an easy read, I was able to finish it in one sitting, and I was a huge fan of the way it incorporated the queer reading of The Great Gatsby into the story. The inclusion of secret queer clubs and the red light warnings was so small but so important to the world-building and I applaud the author for how well they were able to build the world in a way that felt subtle and natural. I enjoyed the character of Mel, and she felt extremely well-rounded: the classic parentified daughter with an almost compulsive need to do anything and everything for people who would not do the same for her. She resonated deeply, and I found her girlhood crush on Jordan to be extremely realistic, but I have to admit that overall the romances felt a little flat to me. I wasn't really that invested in the romance subplots, though I understand what they represented for the character. I just wish there had been a bit more to make me care about them, but I'm not sure exactly what it was that was missing. Besides that, I think this is an amazing story, and it is perfect for any and all fans of The Great Gatsby.

[ฅ^•⩊•^ฅ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason I didn’t DNF this book is because it was short but those 176 pages felt like 600. I like horror, I like queer stories, but I’m tired of trauma being the only thing that seems to matter in literature right now. It’s exhausting. I went in hoping for a haunting story that would genuinely chill me to the bone and give me goosebumps, but instead it just made me roll my eyes. I’ve honestly felt more scared reading Goosebumps books than this.

The worst part? Aside from the heavy focus on trauma, definitely the mommy issues. If I had a mother like Daisy, I wouldn’t care about her at all. There’s no way I’d go chasing her or her ghost into a haunted house. I’d be running the other way. Another thing that really bothered me was Mel and us focusing more on her love life that the actual story. The haunted house? Not haunted. Not scary. Just kind of… there. The ghosts were fine, I guess. Daisy’s were the only ones that stood out even a little.

At least now I know that “feminist horror” apparently means “no horror, just vibes and trauma.”. But hey, at least it was short.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll start off by saying that I’m a fan of this type of horror. Ghosts of the past, metaphorical ghosts, real ghosts, you name it… if you love the horror of all of the above, you’ll love this.

“How do you explain all the ways your life is haunted to someone who can’t even fathom ghosts?”

✷ Great Gatsby inspired
✷ queer horror
✷ haunted house
✷ ghosts

This is a haunting story about forgiveness and acceptance. I had to sit with this one for a while… and it might stay with me for a little. I found myself highlighting more than I thought I would, and the way it relates to my life and my relationship with my own parents was surprising to me, but I shouldn’t be surprised. I always loved The Great Gatsby.

“It’s 1955, for god’s sake; by now, the world should be more civilized than this.”

This book was on the shorter end but it packed a punch of emotion for me. The writing was descriptive, beautiful and even funny at times… if you have laugh at a funeral type humor. Highly recommend for a novella in this genre.

Thank you to the NetGalley Team and Gwendolyn Kiste for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Azzurra Nox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I’ve never loved The Great Gatsby. I’ve always felt the story might’ve hit harder if it were told from Gatsby’s perspective instead of Nick’s. Still, I’ve always been drawn to its atmosphere, the glamour, the tragedy, the sharp edges beneath the shine—so the premise of this sequel immediately hooked me.

Kiste reimagines that world through Daisy’s daughter, Mel, now grown but still haunted by her parents’ choices and the ripple effects they’ve left behind. When Daisy dies, Mel becomes obsessed with reaching her, desperate for answers, for closure, for some understanding of what really happened in her final moments.

This is a ghost story in every sense. The past doesn’t just linger—it manifests. The pages are filled with literal hauntings, but also emotional ones: regret, longing, and the ache of things left unsaid. Kiste has a gift for writing sadness that feels heavy yet strangely luminous, balancing heartbreak with a quiet thread of hope.

If you’re a Gatsby fan, or if you love a moody, emotionally rich ghost story, this one is absolutely worth your time.

*ARC was given to me for review.

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers!!

I was so excited to receive and review an ARC for this book! Gatsby and Queer women? I am IN!

I’m going to start by saying that I absolutely adore the cover art! Stunning. Gorgeous. Ten stars.

Long review short, this ended up being a three star read for me. I’m probably being pretty generous with that.

I actually think that this story would be better as a full novel. The characters didn’t feel like they were whole people, you know? For example; Nick. It felt like Nick’s whole purpose in the story was to die. Perhaps the author didn’t want to kill her darlings, and so introduced Nick to the plot for that purpose. Perhaps it could be a commentary on familial grief and trauma, but it didn’t feel that deep.

A great aspect about this story is how immersive I found the scene descriptions. Gwendolyn really succeeded at making the atmosphere in the Gatsby house feel suffocating and decayed.

The writing itself was good, no issues on a line level, but overall the plot felt underdeveloped and a bit flat. I still had a good time though!

[Juli Stadler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read "In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts, a horror retelling of "The Great Gatsby," because I love F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel. Also, I recently read and enjoyed Gwendolyn Kiste's "The Haunting of Velkwood,” and was looking forward to reading more of her work. I really wanted to love this novel, but I was disappointed. I would've enjoyed it more if I wasn't already familiar with "The Great Gatsby." Though "In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts" is well written, it didn't stray far enough from the original source material to keep things interesting for me. I also felt like it rehashed some of the same themes found in "The Haunting of Velkwood," while I was looking forward to something completely new and different. I think "In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts" will appeal more to readers who have not already read "The Great Gatsby" or "The Haunting of Velkwood.”

Thanks to Creature Publishing, Amanda Manns, and NetGalley for the complimentary eDRC. All opinions are my own.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

My dislike of this book is not for want of trying. I am not a huge fan of the ‘The Great Gatsby’ as a whole, but I was hoping that this retelling would be able to make me a little more endeared to it. Unfortunately, it simply was not to be.

I do think that it was well-written, except for the sections that referred to Gatsby. It just felt a bit contrived, and I really did hope for the best with this one, but it didn’t quite get there.

The characters were interesting, and I do love the idea of taking a minor character and running with them to flesh them out more. I do think there could have been a little more of a focus on the ghosts as a whole, and the actual horror elements.

I really did feel like this was less of a horror novel and more of an expansion of the world that was in Gatsby. I did wish that it pushed things a little further, but I also acknowledge I am not the optimum audience for this.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thankfully this is a short novella because it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for from a ‘haunting exploration of obsession’. I didn’t HATE this book but here are my potentially unpopular opinions:

I guess it being short was where I struggled initially because there wasn’t much build up to the story and it went straight into ectoplasm in Gatsby’s mansion.

It felt a bit like a bad joke unfortunately as I really wanted to love this. But I recognised so many quotes from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel which felt forced.

One of the things that made me apply for this ARC was the promise of a sapphic relationship. This just didn’t seem to hit the mark, and Mel’s obsession with Jordan felt very odd given the age gap/her mums bestie.

This could have been so much more atmospheric and could have explored a part of the story that had not been originally.

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and the pacing was good for what was there, I wish there had been...more. The ghosts were amazing, I wish we could have more of them for sure, more of a build up. It was a very interesting and inventive take on the Gatsby story, and I though it did a great job giving readers info in case they are less familiar with Gatsby while still mentioning specific things that occur in the book.

Mel was a great main character jumping into the literal and metaphorical ghosts of her family's past along with Gatsby and his house. I wish that we could have had more of Mel and Vera. We get some nice scenes with them and it really would have been nice to elaborate on that.

Overall I give it a solid 3.5 stars and would absolutely recommend it for anyone who likes a good haunted house. Especially a creative haunted house!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so well written I was drawn in from chapter 2 onwards. Mel is daughter of Daisy Buchanan the love of Gatsby’s life the one who left him wanting.
Mel’s adrift wanting so much for more but scared about an outcome due to her families history from both her father and mother.
She finds out her mother has passed out at Gatsby’s estate and is invited into the mansion to see if she can see her mother’s ghost. A great story on loss and grief and dealing with a parent who is mourning the loss of her youth and having to parent herself.
A well told story many dimensions including Jordan her mothers best friend and the only one to care what happened to her creating a longing for more for a woman that couldn’t offer or give it.
Great book I’d advise to read it very engaging preferred thjs to The Great Gatsby which actually annoyed me due to its emptiness in story.

[444.ariesbaby_reads✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

•in these gilded, ghostly hearts- gwendolyn kiste👻🩶•

a murder, secrets, longing & ghosts of the past come to resurface.

the hidden truths, long buried yet to be discovered by daisy’s daughter after she was murdered in a mansion that is starved for energy and life. after one visit, it keeps calling, a pull that cannot be ignored. curiosity taking over and the urge to help the lingering ghosts that cannot leave.

this was such a beautiful, historical gothic novel.
where the past clings like ghosts and the ghosts haunt for love and memories of their past.

this novel is full on longing and fixed obsessions for what used to be and the things that are no longer within reach.

•★ ★ ★ ★

thank you to @netgalley & @creaturepublishing for this arc copy!✨

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I fell in love with Mel pretty quickly and I can attribute that to the author. There was just something about the character that made instantly fall in love with her.

This was such an interesting novella and take on what happens after the events of The Great Gatsby. This is just a snippet of Daisy’s daughter, Mel’s life. I think it would be so interesting to see her life before this story and after. It would also be interesting to me to see both books be read and analyzed in high school classes.

In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is a hauntingly beautiful and queer sequel you didn’t know you needed, but was better than you could’ve imagined.

[Lumley Little Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was inspired by The Great Gatsby but retold through a feminist, queer lense, focusing on an unexplored character from the original story. Initially, I wasn't sure what to expect from this novella but it's a small read that packs a big punch.

My favourite part of this story was the detailed description of the haunted house. Walls oozing with ectoplasm. Figures that resemble humans from the past but twisted and distorted. It caused a visceral reaction in me that had me eager for the next page and to see what horrors would unfold.

This story explores ghosts of all kinds: ghosts of memories, ghosts of past relationships and trauma and, of course, actual ghosts. It's a lot to strive for in under 200 pages. Whilst it was successful enough in creating an enjoyable read, I do wish that it was a little longer so there was more breathing space to dive deeper into some of the themes and plot points.

[Domilė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Gwendolyn Kiste and NetGalley for the ARC🖤
I don’t often read ghost horror, but I really loved how everything was tied together with The Great Gatsby and the Haunted house themes. I could truly understand what the FMC felt after suddenly losing her mother, and her desire to understand her and simply say goodbye.

The story was also enriched by the side characters, especially Vera, who remained a kind of anchor for the FMC even with all the unfolding horror. Everything came together beautifully, and I even found myself wishing the story were longer - with more drama in that haunted house setting.🫨

Overall, an excellent story🫀 I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for something spooky yet elegant👻

[ASK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, the characters are so well done. I almost wish some elements of the book were metaphorical rather, as it would have made an amazing lit-fic. The way that they were conflicted, so many experiences, influenced by their times, mixed motivations, so many conflicting emotions. That part was great. I was confused by the genre and it could have been just me. In my opinion, a metaphorical house haunting would be better or a true horror. The ectoplasm was a huge distractor and cheapened it for me. The premise was amazing. I would love to read more about the characters. But the yellow liquid... Like I said, that Brought it down. I had trouble connecting with it after the first, umm.. Wave.

[Linds · Rating 3 out of 5]

In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts by Gwendolyn Kiste is a quick, uncomplicated might may tickle your fancy if you're looking for a Gatsby-themed ghost mystery or ever wondered what happened to Pamela Buchanan, Daisy's daughter. The story introduces us to her (also known as Mel) as she teams up with some old and new faces to investigate her mother's death. It didn't quite hit all the right notes for me, and at times it felt a bit anachronistic, but if you're looking for a haunted house story with some of the characters from The Great Gatsby, consider checking it out? Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!