Among Her Bones

by Kate SeRine

In a house built on the sins of its past, where the walls conceal dark secrets and silence every scream, love may be her only salvation.

When single mother Zellie Dupont loses her last source of stability and is left with nothing but grief, debt, and a sick child she’s terrified of failing, desperation drives her to accept a stranger’s offer of refuge in a crumbling Savannah mansion.
But Dawes House is no ordinary home.

Once a grand estate, now faded grandeur shrouded in moss and mystery, the mansion is cold in ways it shouldn’t be, disquieting in ways Zellie can’t ignore. Yet her new neighbors welcome her like kin, offering the warmth and belonging she’s always yearned for. And her enigmatic benefactor possesses a quiet, wounded tenderness that draws her nearer with every stolen moment, kindling a desire she feels down to her bones—intense and undeniable.

But with every passing day in the house, the shadows creep closer. Footsteps echo in empty rooms. Ghostly whispers brush her ear. Visions of women cry out with silent mouths—women who loved, who suffered, and who failed to escape the house that claimed them.

As the mansion’s past unravels, Zellie is pulled into a dark history of misery, longing, and ghostly vengeance…and toward a truth that could devour her exactly like it did the women before her.

Because in Dawes House, nothing stays buried.
Not love.
Not betrayal.
And not the dead.

Perfect for readers of Southern Gothic fiction, atmospheric ghost stories, paranormal suspense, Gothic romance, and slow‑burn supernatural thrillers.

Genres: Romance

357 pages, ebook

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Kate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) is a hopeless romantic who firmly believes in true love that lasts forever. So it's no surprise that when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed her characters would always have a happily ever after. She's the author of the award-winning TRANSPLANTED TALES series, the PROTECT AND SERVE series, and the DARK ALLIANCE series.

Kate has been a finalist in the Fire and Ice Contest (2010), the Finally a Bride Contest (2010), the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence (2013), and the Booksellers Best Award (2017); and is the recipient of The Emily (2012), the National Readers Choice Award (2012), and the National Excellence in Story Telling Award (2022). She is represented by Nicole Resciniti with the Seymour Agency.

Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project--probably while consuming way too much coffee.

Series reading order:

Transplanted Tales:
Red
Grimm Consequences
The Better to See You
Along Came a Spider
Ever After
Better Watch Out

Protect & Serve:
"Torn" (prequel novella in WAY OF THE WARRIOR)
Stop at Nothing
Safe from Harm

Dark Alliance:
Deceived
Concealed

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Among Her Bones--a spine tingling Southern Gothic horror romance about a single mom who moves into an old mansion full of eccentric families and buried secrets. Perfect for if you binged Something Very Bad is Going to Happen and The Haunting of Hill House like I did.

Serine creates something fresh and unexpected while braiding in references to beloved classics. The immersive setting (an aging mansion full of eccentric characters and furious spirits) and quick pace had me flipping pages well past bedtime.

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy for review**

“I would burn down this world down to protect you, rip the heart out of anyone who threatened you. And I wouldn’t regret it for a second.”

Wow! What an ending I didn’t anticipate! 😮
I enjoyed the storyline but I loved the last part of the story the most! 🩸

This story has the feel of a VC Andrew’s novel. There is family drama, a spicy love relationship, hauntings and gore towards the end.

All of these elements combined made me really like this book! I am glad I went into this one not knowing as much about the plot. It made for a great surprise ending which made me give this an extra ⭐️

[Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among Her Bones by Katie SeRine delivered a gripping blend of supernatural suspense, emotional depth, and unexpected twists.

Among Her Bones by Katie SeRine was my first introduction to her work. Overall, it was a wild, atmospheric trip that kept me thoroughly engaged. From the moment I started reading, the story immediately pulled me in and refused to let go.

Zellie, the heroine, had a difficult childhood shaped by a religiously fanatical mother, and while she's in a better place emotionally as an adult, she struggles financially. Although she’s doing her best to raise her son on her own, her circumstances eventually lead her to accept an offer to stay at Dawes House. Once she arrives, her ability to see spirits—a gift or a curse, depending on the perspective—begins to complicate her life even further.

Soon after moving in, the spirits begin to manifest. As these encounters escalate, Zellie starts to question what she has gotten herself into. As the plot progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the ghosts may not be her biggest problem. The tenants of Dawes House possess secrets that pose danger. Because of this, the tension builds steadily, creating an eerie atmosphere that had me turning pages long into the night.

Additionally, Zellie’s bravery stood out to me. Even though her situation left her with few options, she endured so much with remarkable strength. Her courage added emotional weight to the story, and as a result, I found myself rooting for her from beginning to end.

The romance element was an unexpected but welcome addition. Although there were moments when I questioned whether Whit could truly be trusted, he eventually proved himself. However, the rapid development of their relationship occasionally felt rushed, which slightly affected the overall pacing.

Nevertheless, the book delivered several jaw-dropping twists, and more than once, I caught myself thinking, What did I just read? The blend of supernatural chills, suspenseful reveals, and emotional moments made this a compelling read.

Overall, Among Her Bones delivered an engrossing supernatural thriller with romance, tension, and plenty of shocking moments that fans of the genre will appreciate.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among Her Bones by Kate SeRine is a book that kept me on the edge of the seat the entire time I was reading. I'm not one to normally read gothic horror romance, but this book had horror elements that reminded me of American Horror Story season one, the Shining, and the Grudge. Zellie didn't come from the best circumstances, so when she was invited to stay in Dawes House by Whit, it definitely seemed like a blessing in disguise for her. Little did she know the true nature of the house she was staying in and the people who lived there.

Despite this book being out of the normal genre I read, the visions that Zellie had, along with the nightmares and hallucinations, left me wanting more. I felt compelled to keep reading because I wanted to know who exactly was haunting her and her son, and why they weren't at peace. The pacing was very fast in the beginning when it came to showing what resided in Dawes House, but for a good chunk of the second half, it seemed to slow down a bit. At about the 75% mark it started picking up again, and the end of the book came very quickly. There were some unanswered questions regarding what Whit and his family truly are. I do wish the author had emphasized what exactly Whit and his family were, because it was left in a very grey area for me. For how fearful Zellie was in the beginning, she came into her own in protecting herself, Whit, and her son. I also liked the fact that the questions of what was haunting her and why were answered in the end.

While I did like Whit and Zellie's courtship, I did think that it teetered on the line between slow burn and insta love. I also would have liked to have some more background into it because of how fast it moved. Despite this, it was still nice to know that Zellie had something somewhat normal in her life.

Overall, Among Her Bones was a good venture into the horror genre for me. If you enjoy the paranormal, specifically when it comes to the spirits who haunt old Southern houses and wreak havoc on unsuspecting guest, I highly recommend you give this a read. I also recommend this book to readers who enjoy a bit of romance in their horror reads.

Thank you to Caffeinated PR for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMONG HER BONES BY KATE SERINE.
4 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s.
Just look at that cover 🔥
This is a southern gothic horror romance and it hit the spot.
I very much enjoyed this book.
This is my first book by this author and Will be reading more of her work for sure ☺

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among Her Bones is a dark gothic horror about Zellie, a struggling single mum whose life changes with one phone call and a move into a creepy old mansion that are now apartments. This is a story about ghosts, a found family in the creepiest of ways and a house that hides so much more under the surface. From the blurb, I actually expected this to be a historical novel but it surprised me by being set in the present day.

I really liked the main character Zellie who has clearly had a difficult life from her upbringing with her extremely religious mother to struggling financially with her son Henry. She explains early on that she’s always been able to see ghosts, or intruders, as she calls them and at first it seems expected that she can see ghosts at Dawes House which has been around for hundreds of years. However, these ghosts are a lot more present and terrifying than her usual experiences and she’s barely even moved in before the first glimpse happens! The ghostly scenes only grow more terrifying throughout and I love the fear and tension that it creates each time. I also liked that henry could see them too.

I loved the description of the house which has a very gothic vibe and you can immediately feel its history within. The residents are also a very intriguing selection of people and at first I really liked how close and like family they were but they soon became very overbearing and controlling, especially when it came to Henry and this made me suspicious of them. I originally liked Chase, Merilee and Pearlie but thought their closeness was a little too weird and June’s comments about Zellie’s previous circumstances were so rude! I also liked Whit, the owner of the house and Zellie’s new love interest, but I felt like I couldn’t trust him fully until he proved that he was genuine.

I loved that these ghosts had a strong connection to the house and that Zellie was able to see who they were through visions in her dreams. The history of the men in this house with their wives was incredibly dark and the situations the women found themselves in were horrible. I like that Zellie was able to give them closure even after being forced to relive their trauma. Henry also had dreams but his were of the future of events that hadn’t happened yet and it was fascinating when these scenes came true.

As the novel develops, it is clear that something much darker is going on in this house and I loved the huge twist towards the end which I never saw coming! I did have a few theories while reading and I was close but nothing to the extent of the whole truth which was a brilliant reveal. There is even one more, bigger twist which is followed by an incredible action packed ending as everything comes to a head and Zellie has to fight for her family’s survival. The ending wraps up the story nicely and I really enjoyed this gothic horror with a little bit of romance.

[VexPerex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Caffeinated PR for providing a free e‑copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated that the horror elements were introduced early — by page 40, the first ghostly intruder appears, I didn’t have to wait long for the chills to begin. The first half builds proper tension and creeps, and I was genuinely excited to continue, convinced this would be an extraordinary Gothic descent.

Zellie herself is a rare kind of protagonist — a single mother with paranormal abilities, burdened by poverty and despair. Her struggle to provide for her child while living under constant strain feels genuine and well‑drawn. Her relationship with her mother is written with disturbing precision; you can almost sense the pain, the abuse, the scars that shaped her. This layered portrayal gave the book a strong foundation.

The writing style is simple — not ornate or stylish — but effective enough to describe the haunted house and its horrors vividly.

Unfortunately, once the story shifts into romance and erotic territory, the horror grip loosens. What began as unsettling and atmospheric becomes watered down, predictable, and weak. The pacing, steady at first, falters when the love story intrudes. The final battles, which should have been the culmination of all that dread, feel rushed and poorly handled. Instead of a dark crescendo, the book stumbles into an abrupt conclusion that leaves the reader unsatisfied.

My strongest criticism lies in the instant attraction (though explained later, it was still a bit annoying) and too many sex scenes. They disrupted the flow of the story, and felt unnecessary in a novel that isn’t meant to be erotic. Worse, they read like copy‑paste trend we’ve seen in countless other books — the same formula repeated everywhere, leaving readers tired of the pattern. Here, they dilute the Gothic horror that could have been the novel’s strength.

Verdict: "Among Her Bones" wants to be a Southern Gothic ghost story, but it ends up as a romantic suspense with Gothic wallpaper. For readers who crave atmosphere and a haunted house backdrop, it may suffice. But for those of us who demand layered dread, psychological decay, and horror that lingers like rot, this novel disappoints.

[Cheyenne Oleson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Among Her Bones had all the ingredients for an atmospheric supernatural thriller: a creepy old house, buried secrets, unsettling tension, and a slow unraveling mystery wrapped in humid Southern gothic vibes. While it didn’t completely land for me in the end, I still found it to be an engaging and eerie read overall.

The strongest part of this book was definitely the atmosphere. Dawes House practically felt alive in the story, creaking with secrets and carrying this constant feeling that something was wrong just beneath the surface. Kate SeRine did a great job building tension slowly, and there were multiple moments that genuinely had me unsettled and looking over my shoulder right along with Zellie.

I also really appreciated Zellie as a main character. Her determination to build a safe, stable life for her son made her easy to root for, and I liked that motherhood stayed central to her motivations throughout the story. The found-family feeling among the house residents added warmth that balanced out some of the darker, creepier moments.

The romance with Whit, though, was a bit harder for me to fully connect with. Their relationship developed very quickly, and I personally wanted more time spent building their emotional connection before everything became so intense. Because the story is such a slow burn overall, I think I expected a little more payoff in both the romance and the final reveal.

Unfortunately, the ending is where the book lost me a little. After such a strong buildup, the reveal felt rushed and lacked the emotional punch I was hoping for. The shift into the final act happened so quickly that it almost felt like the story sprinted to the finish line after carefully walking for most of the book.

Still, if you enjoy slow-burn supernatural thrillers with gothic atmosphere, haunted house vibes, buried secrets, and a touch of romance, this is definitely worth picking up for the spooky season.

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

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I feel like this book is the kind that you can see the undercurrent of all the horror inspiration running through it. While referential, it still manages to feel original- with a main character doing her absolute utmost to resolve her circumstances and keep her child safe, as well as solve the mysteries around her.

I think the atmospheric components of this book were wonderful. You can really feel the oppressive heat, as well as the creepy family vibes of everyone in the apartments (which was very ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ in and of itself).

I do think the hauntings started successfully, but I did find myself getting irritated by the lack of resolution for the shock factor. The ghosts were never quite explained, and there were other elements that were fairly essential to the plot that were left without context. While the vibes were still good, I just feel like things could have been cleared up a little more for these points.

The ending also felt a little rushed to me. I understand that it can be difficult to breadcrumb a plot, but I was finding that I got frustrated with the way that everything was put forward right at the end. It absolutely kept me guessing, but at the same time, I just felt like it was a bit too much all at once.

I did really like the main character, Zellie, and her clear dedication to pursuing her best possible life. She had a fair bit of spunk, and refused to give up, which is always nice in a main character. Definitely recommend this one for the horror romance fans out there- unfortunately, I could have just done with a touch more resolution.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC of Among Her Bones by Kate SeRine.

I am so sad to say I had to DNF this. I completely lost interest about 30 percent in. I am truly not sure why, it has everything I really like. It’s southern gothic, has some romance, and the paranormal. The writing is good and very atmospheric. I will probably try and read this again at a later point and hopefully change my review.

I did really like Zellie as the main protagonist. I liked that she can see ghosts and it’s something she been able to do long before she moves to the Dawes house. I generally am very into Southern Gothic novels and I love anything paranormal. I am hoping I can come back another time and will be able to finish it.

-southern gothic/old mansion
-Ghosts/paranormal
-Romance
-Thriller

Thank you again to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC, for an honest review.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description of this book snagged my attention because who wouldn't love the story of a desperate single mother forced to live in a creepy southern mansion full of secrets and ghosts. While the book did deliver on that premise, it felt flat. It's classified as a romance novel, but didn't feel like one, it felt more horror/thriller than a romance. Yes, there is some romance in the book, but it's incredibly slow and felt rushed.
I was annoyed at the use of the cryptic text, it felt like the author was trying to keep us engaged with dangly carrots to keep reading. It was interesting enough without all that.
Also I felt like the author was trying to do too much, the family secret felt out of place and while central to everyone's story left me going why?

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and Caffeinated PR for an ARC of this novel. Among Her Bones was an interesting read. It's a slow burn horror with a side of romance. We follow single mother Zellie as she moves with her son to Dawes House - she is instantly welcomed as family by all of the residents of the other apartments and she quickly begins a relationship with the owner of the house, Whit. I enjoyed a majority of the novel - the creepy parts had me on the edge of my seat and I enjoyed how determined Zellie was to be a good mother to her son. The ending just fell flat to me. The reveal lacked punch and after such a slow book, the switch being flipped just felt too abrupt. I also didn't love the romance, I felt like not enough time had passed for them to be acting as in love as they were especially since we weren't shown much of them getting to know each other.

[catb.x0x0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Kate SeRine and had only stumbled across this book based on the genre search for Gothic romance, but after reading the book description I was immediately sucked in. The first thing I realized was that this book is told in only Zellie’s POV, which is not necessarily a deterrent, but instantly made me wonder why? What is going to happen in the plot that would be ruined if we got Whit’s POV. Well for all my plot twist lovers out there, it's absolutely fabulous and this book is totally worth the read if you love supernatural romance.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

“In the Dawes house, nothing stays buried.”

This is a chilling tale of fated love and buried secrets, with enough twists to keep you guessing right up until the very end.

Kate’s world building dropped me right into a Savannah summer and kept me just as enthralled by Dawes House as her FMC.

I would recommend this book for those in the mood for a slow-burn supernatural thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover pulled me in, the blurb held my interest, and I wanted to give the story a go!

Not my typical read, and it definitely challenged me!

Wait until you meet Zellie! Has she gone from bad to worse?
Will you like Whit?

What is going on in this mansion?

Could there possibly be a happily ever after for our mains?

Having been to Savannah, I loved the atmosphere delivered!

This definitely held my interest, and I will check out other stories by the author!

[Nerica Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was full of vibes. You get the creepy mansion, you get the familiar secrets. There’s suspense and you’ll be guessing and wondering until the very end. I would pick this up especially when the months start getting colder and you’re looking to immerse yourself in a setting that makes you want to look over your shoulder.

[Michelle The Outgoing Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy , atmospheric thriller. With a touch of romance.

Book reminds me of some movies saw in the 70s.

But it has more of a HEA vs them.

Zellie deals with a lot in this book and the creepy, old people she lives with don’t help on the long run.

Had some ideas of how it would play out and some came trie.

Still on fence about Whit though. Morally grey doesn’t cover him.

[Umme Akter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes an unexpected turn in genre. I was looking forward to a classic haunted mansion story, but it turns out to be something quite different- a romantic supernatural thriller! I also like the fact that the book has a happy ending.