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The Clause
Mara Vale inherited a house she never wanted. Ashmere House comes with old furniture, older secrets, and one peculiar request buried in the the house should be occupied by a lawfully married couple. It isn't legally binding. Unfortunately, the house doesn't seem particularly concerned with the law. At first, Mara can explain away the strange things. Footsteps in empty rooms. Objects that refuse to stay where she leaves them. The uncomfortable feeling that Ashmere isn't simply haunted—it is paying attention. Then the house begins making its expectations clear. Ashmere wants a husband. And when Mara refuses to provide one, something inside the house decides it may have to take matters into its own hands. Some fine print should stay unread. The Clause is a gothic paranormal romance about an inherited house, an impossible condition, and what happens when the thing haunting your bedroom becomes considerably more interested in you than in scaring you away.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Did Not Finish
October 8, 2026Review of advanced copy provided by the author.
I unfortunately had to DNF this one at 10%. I really liked the premise and was genuinely interested in seeing where the story was going, but the writing style made it extremely difficult for me to stay immersed.
Almost every page had multiple deliberate metaphors or comparisons, often paired with short, choppy sentences. Individually, these wouldn’t necessarily bother me, but it became repetitive and started to feel overly composed. There were several times when I found myself focusing more on the wording of a sentence than what was actually happening in the story.
I wanted to like this, as the concept had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the writing style was not for me.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I unfortunately had to DNF this one at 10%. I really liked the premise and was genuinely interested in seeing where the story was going, but the writing style made it extremely difficult for me to stay immersed.
Almost every page had multiple deliberate metaphors or comparisons, often paired with short, choppy sentences. Individually, these wouldn’t necessarily bother me, but it became repetitive and started to feel overly composed. There were several times when I found myself focusing more on the wording of a sentence than what was actually happening in the story.
I wanted to like this, as the concept had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the writing style was not for me.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2026
Wow
5 stars. I read the other two reviews, and I know that several readers sited repetitive sentences in the beginning. There were. But you have to remember it’s like when you wake up with things that have happened or you can’t decide if it did or didn’t happen. It’s a comparison of the last time you woke up. Yes, there was a little bit too much of it. But the story itself was very good.
Ladies, hold onto your seats! Before you begin, pay close attention to the disclaimer at the start—because this book brings enough heat to boil a kettle until it screams! 🔥
The author did an absolutely OUTSTANDING job! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m still amazed by the way he masterfully weaves love, inheritance, a sinister house, bitter family feuds, paranormal activity, adventure, and a dangerously seductive romance into one unforgettable story.
From the very first pages, the tension builds. Secrets lurk in the shadows, old grudges refuse to die, and the house seems to hold a life—and a history—of its own. Just when you think you understand what’s happening, another twist pulls you deeper into the mystery.
And then there’s the romance: intense, forbidden, and sizzling with enough steamy drama to set the pages on fire! 😳🔥❤️ The chemistry is impossible to ignore, and the emotional stakes keep rising until you find yourself completely invested in every glance, every secret, and every dangerous choice.
There is so much woven into this book, yet the author brings it all together with such skill that I couldn’t stop reading. By the end, I found myself rooting for this unusual and captivating circumstance with my whole heart. ❤️📚 If you love paranormal secrets, family drama, suspense, adventure, and a romance that burns hotter with every chapter, this is a book you won’t want to miss!
5 stars. I read the other two reviews, and I know that several readers sited repetitive sentences in the beginning. There were. But you have to remember it’s like when you wake up with things that have happened or you can’t decide if it did or didn’t happen. It’s a comparison of the last time you woke up. Yes, there was a little bit too much of it. But the story itself was very good.
Ladies, hold onto your seats! Before you begin, pay close attention to the disclaimer at the start—because this book brings enough heat to boil a kettle until it screams! 🔥
The author did an absolutely OUTSTANDING job! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m still amazed by the way he masterfully weaves love, inheritance, a sinister house, bitter family feuds, paranormal activity, adventure, and a dangerously seductive romance into one unforgettable story.
From the very first pages, the tension builds. Secrets lurk in the shadows, old grudges refuse to die, and the house seems to hold a life—and a history—of its own. Just when you think you understand what’s happening, another twist pulls you deeper into the mystery.
And then there’s the romance: intense, forbidden, and sizzling with enough steamy drama to set the pages on fire! 😳🔥❤️ The chemistry is impossible to ignore, and the emotional stakes keep rising until you find yourself completely invested in every glance, every secret, and every dangerous choice.
There is so much woven into this book, yet the author brings it all together with such skill that I couldn’t stop reading. By the end, I found myself rooting for this unusual and captivating circumstance with my whole heart. ❤️📚 If you love paranormal secrets, family drama, suspense, adventure, and a romance that burns hotter with every chapter, this is a book you won’t want to miss!
October 17, 2026
I received an ARC copy in exchange for my review.
As others have said, the writing is definitely clunky. There are several cases where the author uses words where they honestly don't fit, and I don't know if it's an attempt to be artsy or if parts were run through AI to add to the word count.
I know the author has posted mocking people who read the content warnings and are shocked to see monster smut, but in my opinion, the author wasn't entirely honest with the CWs. "Ambiguous, evolving consent" is pretty generous for a book that has scenes that should definitely be given a rape, or at least non-con CW. Phrases like, "but the shape...had the blunt fact of a man who had decided the conversation was over" are not ambiguous, and that's not the only case where rape would be the correct descriptor.
The story concept was an interesting one, but I would have liked to see it fleshed out more instead of disjointed scenes that were a vehicle for the smut. I don't mind smut, but you need to give the non-smut scenes the same attention to detail. You don't get to know or care about the characters until maybe the last couple of chapters, at which point it was too late.
I'd love to see the author come out with a rewrite that builds the characters and the story. As it is, the relationship between the characters is reminiscent of the relationship in Kirk's movie in Gilmore Girls, all deadpan with no romance.
I would have rated this 3.5, but felt that the dishonest content warnings lowered the overall rating.
As others have said, the writing is definitely clunky. There are several cases where the author uses words where they honestly don't fit, and I don't know if it's an attempt to be artsy or if parts were run through AI to add to the word count.
I know the author has posted mocking people who read the content warnings and are shocked to see monster smut, but in my opinion, the author wasn't entirely honest with the CWs. "Ambiguous, evolving consent" is pretty generous for a book that has scenes that should definitely be given a rape, or at least non-con CW. Phrases like, "but the shape...had the blunt fact of a man who had decided the conversation was over" are not ambiguous, and that's not the only case where rape would be the correct descriptor.
The story concept was an interesting one, but I would have liked to see it fleshed out more instead of disjointed scenes that were a vehicle for the smut. I don't mind smut, but you need to give the non-smut scenes the same attention to detail. You don't get to know or care about the characters until maybe the last couple of chapters, at which point it was too late.
I'd love to see the author come out with a rewrite that builds the characters and the story. As it is, the relationship between the characters is reminiscent of the relationship in Kirk's movie in Gilmore Girls, all deadpan with no romance.
I would have rated this 3.5, but felt that the dishonest content warnings lowered the overall rating.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this ARC from the author and am leaving the following review for free.
It starts slow and repetitive but once it gets going, the story is fantastic. It was a truly unique premise, and I enjoyed watching it unfold.
I liked Mara overall, but at times she seemed selfish to me. I suppose if I was in her her situation I would probably act the same way.
I adored Merrick. He was unapologetically devoted to Mara and knew what she needed before she did.....especially in bed, in the kitchen, in the hall. 😏
All in all, this was a good read. The oy thing that kept me from rating it 5 stars was the writing style. It was a bit redundant and heavy on the metaphors. I do think this author has tremendous talent, and I would read their work again.
It starts slow and repetitive but once it gets going, the story is fantastic. It was a truly unique premise, and I enjoyed watching it unfold.
I liked Mara overall, but at times she seemed selfish to me. I suppose if I was in her her situation I would probably act the same way.
I adored Merrick. He was unapologetically devoted to Mara and knew what she needed before she did.....especially in bed, in the kitchen, in the hall. 😏
All in all, this was a good read. The oy thing that kept me from rating it 5 stars was the writing style. It was a bit redundant and heavy on the metaphors. I do think this author has tremendous talent, and I would read their work again.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book will appeal to a very specific reader. At first glance, this story is a bit dry and tough to get into. It is metaphor heavy and requires patience to understand the world building, and it does end rather abruptly.
However! I loved Mara right away. She is skeptical, rough around the edges, and stubborn, yet at the same time, open minded and understanding. Following Eleanor’s trail was an adventure itself and Merrick is a strong, intriguing character. I would have loved to have much more depth and insight into the characters and lore of how Ashmere became the thing that it is. Overall, I enjoyed this story!
However! I loved Mara right away. She is skeptical, rough around the edges, and stubborn, yet at the same time, open minded and understanding. Following Eleanor’s trail was an adventure itself and Merrick is a strong, intriguing character. I would have loved to have much more depth and insight into the characters and lore of how Ashmere became the thing that it is. Overall, I enjoyed this story!
October 11, 2026
I was provided an advanced readers copy for an honest review. Here is that review: I don’t know what to expect going into this read. What I had seen about the book had me really interested in it. The writing style isn’t my favorite but the idea about the house only liking pairs was a great idea. I knew I had to finish the story and I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed the ending. The only reason I have given it a 3 star rating is because of the writing style. Once you really get into the story is actually really good.
November 1, 2026
ARC REVIEW
This book is a fun, quick read. While the writing is occasionally clunky and repetitive (as other reviews noted) I enjoyed it and I liked the style. The book doesn’t go deep into its characters, which was a little frustrating because I wanted more details regarding the characters (FMC and MMC) and the house. Overall, the spicy parts were fun and frequent.
Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this!
This book is a fun, quick read. While the writing is occasionally clunky and repetitive (as other reviews noted) I enjoyed it and I liked the style. The book doesn’t go deep into its characters, which was a little frustrating because I wanted more details regarding the characters (FMC and MMC) and the house. Overall, the spicy parts were fun and frequent.
Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this!
October 22, 2026
This book was new for me thank you for allowing me to read your book. I enjoyed it. The concept was something very different for story. The plot & twist was amazing. I LOVED LOVED THE ENDING! It’s a GREAT READ! You’ll really enjoy it!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews