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Manderley Academy #1
Ghosted
He may play like an angel, but this sinful angel is determined to make my life hell.
When my mom got sick, my dreams of a career in music imploded. That is, until Madame Usher wafts into my life like a ghost from the past, offering me the chance to study at the exclusive Manderley Academy – a music school for the most gifted and wealthy.
It’s an offer I can’t refuse—free room and board at the gothic mansion where elite students immerse themselves in mastering their art. But there’s a catch, and it’s a big one.
I’m her slave.
I clean the rooms. I polish the piano keys. I serve her and the six rich, pretentious students who paid to be here.
I must endure their bullying in silence. Even when they destroy my things, sabotage my performances, and try their best to drive me from Manderley.
Rich. Arrogant. Cruel. Especially Dorien Valencourt – the cute boy who used to be my friend grew up into the world's hottest a-hole. The Bad Boy of Baroque with his sinister smirk and come-to-bed eyes. Dorien won’t have the poor little charity case ruining his fun. He’s heard me play. He knows I’m a serious contender for the prestigious Manderley Prize.
Dorien isn’t used to losing, especially to the help.
But he’s not the only one haunting me.
Something twisted and evil shrouds Manderley Academy. Maybe my bullies are the least of my problems. Maybe Dorien’s not the one behind the strange noises in the walls, the warnings scrawled on my mirror, and the gruesome murders on the school grounds.
Maybe...maybe Manderley’s ghosts are real.
A dark mystery unfolds around musician Faye de Winter in book one of this gripping gothic college bully romance by USA Today best-selling author Steffanie Holmes. Warning: Proceed with caution – this tale of a spoiled rich boy with an unsettling secret and the girl who refuses to put up with his shit contains dark themes, a creepy house, a smoldering second-chance romance, college angst, cruel bullies, swoon-worthy sex, and potential triggers.
When my mom got sick, my dreams of a career in music imploded. That is, until Madame Usher wafts into my life like a ghost from the past, offering me the chance to study at the exclusive Manderley Academy – a music school for the most gifted and wealthy.
It’s an offer I can’t refuse—free room and board at the gothic mansion where elite students immerse themselves in mastering their art. But there’s a catch, and it’s a big one.
I’m her slave.
I clean the rooms. I polish the piano keys. I serve her and the six rich, pretentious students who paid to be here.
I must endure their bullying in silence. Even when they destroy my things, sabotage my performances, and try their best to drive me from Manderley.
Rich. Arrogant. Cruel. Especially Dorien Valencourt – the cute boy who used to be my friend grew up into the world's hottest a-hole. The Bad Boy of Baroque with his sinister smirk and come-to-bed eyes. Dorien won’t have the poor little charity case ruining his fun. He’s heard me play. He knows I’m a serious contender for the prestigious Manderley Prize.
Dorien isn’t used to losing, especially to the help.
But he’s not the only one haunting me.
Something twisted and evil shrouds Manderley Academy. Maybe my bullies are the least of my problems. Maybe Dorien’s not the one behind the strange noises in the walls, the warnings scrawled on my mirror, and the gruesome murders on the school grounds.
Maybe...maybe Manderley’s ghosts are real.
A dark mystery unfolds around musician Faye de Winter in book one of this gripping gothic college bully romance by USA Today best-selling author Steffanie Holmes. Warning: Proceed with caution – this tale of a spoiled rich boy with an unsettling secret and the girl who refuses to put up with his shit contains dark themes, a creepy house, a smoldering second-chance romance, college angst, cruel bullies, swoon-worthy sex, and potential triggers.
354 pages, ebook
First published March 1, 2020
518 people are currently reading
1355 people want to read
About the author
Steffanie Holmes
84 books1,359 followersSteffanie Holmes is the author of steamy historical and paranormal romance. Her books feature clever, witty heroines, wild shifters, cunning witches and alpha males who get what they want.
Before becoming a writer, Steffanie worked as an archaeologist and museum curator. She loves to explore historical settings and ancient conceptions of love and possession. From Dark Age Europe to crumbling gothic estates, Steffanie is fascinated with how love can blossom between the most unlikely characters.
Steffanie lives in New Zealand with her husband and a horde of cantankerous cats. Learn more about Steffanie at her website: www.steffanieholmes.com. She also writes dark science fiction under the name S C Green.
Want to be informed when the next Steffanie Holmes paranormal romance story goes live? Sign up for the mailing list! http://eepurl.com/ZrowD
Before becoming a writer, Steffanie worked as an archaeologist and museum curator. She loves to explore historical settings and ancient conceptions of love and possession. From Dark Age Europe to crumbling gothic estates, Steffanie is fascinated with how love can blossom between the most unlikely characters.
Steffanie lives in New Zealand with her husband and a horde of cantankerous cats. Learn more about Steffanie at her website: www.steffanieholmes.com. She also writes dark science fiction under the name S C Green.
Want to be informed when the next Steffanie Holmes paranormal romance story goes live? Sign up for the mailing list! http://eepurl.com/ZrowD
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
May 31, 2020
Ever since I discovered the Reverse Harem genre, an entire new world has opened for me. A world I don't know, where I have to look for the authors I like, where I have to stumble over some books I dislike to find those hidden pearls I wouldn't have wanted to miss. One of those hidden pearls was the Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries series. All books were five star reads for me, so I had to check out the other books by this author too. And since I love the musical Rebecca and fell in love with this cover, this was my next read.
I started this morning and just couldn't stop anymore. The story sucked me in and refused to let me go. Holmes is amazing when it comes to pacing. She gives more than enough detail to make the world come to life, to give the characters backstories and complicated personalities, but she also adds excitement and mystery and small pieces of a complicated puzzle at the right moments. There are so many questions and only a few are answered. I can't wait to get the rest of the information and will buy the next book as soon as I can.
It also helps that the main character in this story, Faye, was amazing. It was easy to identify with her, to root for her and to feel for her. Along the way I realized how much I cared about her when bad things kept on happening to her and I just wished it would stop. And the more bully reverse harems I read, the more I discover that I like those if they're well done. And Holmes does them well. The three guys have their reasons for pulling their crap and even though good reasons don't make it all okay, it's impossible to not feel for them a little too.
The biggest star of this story however was the music and I'm pretty sure the music is half the reason I didn't wanna stop reading. Holmes, even though she was never that into classical music before discovering it, really managed to bring the emotions of all those pieces to life. I could almost hear the notes and feel the slight trembling of the strings of the violin. As a classical trained flutist I felt my fingers and heart itch to start playing again, to dive into those pieces and to see if I can pour much more of my soul into them now I'm older and opener than I used to be when I learned how to play.
By the way, that cliffhanger was absolutely brutal, but luckily I do well with cliffhangers. But, you can be sure I'll read the next book as soon as it's there!
ps. I never recovered from Klaus smashing the violin in The Originals. Holmes just added ANOTHER shattered violin to that trauma. Great.
I started this morning and just couldn't stop anymore. The story sucked me in and refused to let me go. Holmes is amazing when it comes to pacing. She gives more than enough detail to make the world come to life, to give the characters backstories and complicated personalities, but she also adds excitement and mystery and small pieces of a complicated puzzle at the right moments. There are so many questions and only a few are answered. I can't wait to get the rest of the information and will buy the next book as soon as I can.
It also helps that the main character in this story, Faye, was amazing. It was easy to identify with her, to root for her and to feel for her. Along the way I realized how much I cared about her when bad things kept on happening to her and I just wished it would stop. And the more bully reverse harems I read, the more I discover that I like those if they're well done. And Holmes does them well. The three guys have their reasons for pulling their crap and even though good reasons don't make it all okay, it's impossible to not feel for them a little too.
The biggest star of this story however was the music and I'm pretty sure the music is half the reason I didn't wanna stop reading. Holmes, even though she was never that into classical music before discovering it, really managed to bring the emotions of all those pieces to life. I could almost hear the notes and feel the slight trembling of the strings of the violin. As a classical trained flutist I felt my fingers and heart itch to start playing again, to dive into those pieces and to see if I can pour much more of my soul into them now I'm older and opener than I used to be when I learned how to play.
By the way, that cliffhanger was absolutely brutal, but luckily I do well with cliffhangers. But, you can be sure I'll read the next book as soon as it's there!
ps. I never recovered from Klaus smashing the violin in The Originals. Holmes just added ANOTHER shattered violin to that trauma. Great.
March 2, 2020
So, I love the mystery, the intrigue, and all the lies spinning together into a rather complex web. I had a lot of fun reading it! Classical music is close to my heart, and it's a joy to see it here in reverse harem form. It's also fun to see the setting in a Gothic manor with all the spooks and cliches of a good horror story. I'm definitely picking up the next one when it comes out. I need to know how this all comes together!
Some things I noticed were just a few little typos, like putting the name Dorian where Ivan should have been, and saying "get vertical" instead of "get horizontal" in reference to sex. I put that in my highlights in case of the odd weird chance the author sees this.
Some things I didn't like, was how over the top dramatic some things were, but I mean it's an RH about classical music. everyone tends to treat music in an overly dramatic way anyway lmao. Although there were some bits where it seemed a little unrealistic and out there.
There were a few errors as well in regards to classical music, things that everyone gets wrong in everything ever and again I don't expect complete accuracy here. This is just some fun facts :)
1. Fast playing doesn't mean it's difficult. Pieces that audiences tend to find amazing are usually fast pace. For instance, "Flight of the Bumblebee", is often misinterpreted as being difficult because it's fast. But, it's actually not. In fact, some slower pieces are much more difficult.
2. Moving around while you play, especially if you're playing violin, is super hard and may make your playing not so great. In movies and shows this tends to be a trope that happens a lot. Super dramatic playing, fast bowing, dancing around etc. In truth, behind the scenes usually no one is actually playing and you just hear screeching. They dub over it in post by someone who can actually play. It's also incredibly hard to stand face to face playing violin. You gonna smack each other with your bows. and those by themselves are expensive.
3. Dude. Bro. Throwing your violin into a chair, having sex on a piano, waving alcohol around a piano, playing your violin in the rain is soooo sacrilegious . Do you know how much that stuff costs? for a decent orchestra violin it's something around 10,000$ and that's just on the lower end. There are violins today that literally cost millions of dollars. A fancy piano that's mentioned in the book, is worth around 256,000 - 560,000$
I'm not even a musician and I was cringing.
4. This one is just a fun fact. Currently it is a trend to not clap at concerts unless it's the end of the piece or the concert master lets you. However, this has not always been the case. In fact people like Mozart expected people to clap and even talk during performances. Spontaneous applause was encouraged. But, somewhere around mid 19th century when classical music became more of a public thing, things called claques were created. Basically, they were professional applauders that were paid to show up and clap for performers. But, a lot of people hated that and so it became a thing for audiences to be asked not to clap until the end of the performance. Some professionals today don't actually mind clapping, though after certain movements when silence would sound nice they don't appreciate it.
:) I still loved the story though and i'm looking forward to the next one.
March 3, 2020
This is a gothic RH retelling of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I've had a love/hate relationship with this author's other books, so I was a little iffy going into this one, but I must say that I like this one the best out of all that I have read.
August 29, 2020
Mediocre at best.
This book reads like a Penny Dreadful. Faye is the young ingenue in a desperate situation who finds herself at the mercy of a ruthless woman from her past. The Madam’s character is ridiculously over the top. Her dialogue is stilted and unnatural and, at times, completely laughable. Dorien, Ivan and Titus torment and terrorize Faye from the moment she enters Manderlay, and yet instead of being repulsed by their actions, she is drawn to them. Totally unrealistic. Most intelligent women are not sexually drawn to their tormentors. The author cannot even keep her own timeline straight. Faye and Dorien have not seen each other in ten years. They are both 19 in the book. Somehow Dorien managed to make a surprise visit at Faye’s sixteenth birthday when her mother gifted her a violin. This is a major plot point and the author completely messed it up. It’s not the only serious editorial error in the book. The only redeeming part of the storyline is the mystery behind the ghosts that appear to be haunting Manderlay. That kept me interested. The rest of the story was a complete wash for me.
This book reads like a Penny Dreadful. Faye is the young ingenue in a desperate situation who finds herself at the mercy of a ruthless woman from her past. The Madam’s character is ridiculously over the top. Her dialogue is stilted and unnatural and, at times, completely laughable. Dorien, Ivan and Titus torment and terrorize Faye from the moment she enters Manderlay, and yet instead of being repulsed by their actions, she is drawn to them. Totally unrealistic. Most intelligent women are not sexually drawn to their tormentors. The author cannot even keep her own timeline straight. Faye and Dorien have not seen each other in ten years. They are both 19 in the book. Somehow Dorien managed to make a surprise visit at Faye’s sixteenth birthday when her mother gifted her a violin. This is a major plot point and the author completely messed it up. It’s not the only serious editorial error in the book. The only redeeming part of the storyline is the mystery behind the ghosts that appear to be haunting Manderlay. That kept me interested. The rest of the story was a complete wash for me.
February 10, 2022
It was okay. Might pick it back up after series is complete. Hate cliffhanger.
Loved the Miskatonic series so thought this might be good too. Had potential but ending kinda makes me think this one is better later as a binge than a follow along series.
Loved the Miskatonic series so thought this might be good too. Had potential but ending kinda makes me think this one is better later as a binge than a follow along series.
March 8, 2024
This was slow !!!! so much happened but nothing that told you nothing. Literally the last few chapters were good. So imma keep reading the next book to see if it all comes together
July 5, 2020
Dark bully romance with paranormal elements, reverse harem romance, and a cliffhanger that leaves your heart aching for more.
Faye is an extremely talented musician, but with her mother in coma and no resources left, she has to accept the offer of Madame Usher to become the charity case at Manderley Academy, slaving for her while being given the opportunity to study music in the company of the most talented young musicians. However, the Broken Muses are fast turning to her worst nightmare, especially facing the one and only who broke Faye's heart ages ago - charming and devilish Dorien Valencourt.
This piece plays the reader's emotion the same way the characters play their instruments; in-depth, masterfully, and with ease only the most talented possess. Each game, each prank, each torture raises a reaction in the reader, same with the inexplicable occurrences and conflicted emotions of the Broken Muses. I am a violinist myself, and even though I went another direction, classical music is the base everyone goes through, so it was close to my heart and my own experience. The tangled web of secrets and lies has not yet shown the full extent, and I can't wait until the next installment comes out to figure out what leverages can each of the characters find against the others, and how they choose to use them.
Faye is an extremely talented musician, but with her mother in coma and no resources left, she has to accept the offer of Madame Usher to become the charity case at Manderley Academy, slaving for her while being given the opportunity to study music in the company of the most talented young musicians. However, the Broken Muses are fast turning to her worst nightmare, especially facing the one and only who broke Faye's heart ages ago - charming and devilish Dorien Valencourt.
This piece plays the reader's emotion the same way the characters play their instruments; in-depth, masterfully, and with ease only the most talented possess. Each game, each prank, each torture raises a reaction in the reader, same with the inexplicable occurrences and conflicted emotions of the Broken Muses. I am a violinist myself, and even though I went another direction, classical music is the base everyone goes through, so it was close to my heart and my own experience. The tangled web of secrets and lies has not yet shown the full extent, and I can't wait until the next installment comes out to figure out what leverages can each of the characters find against the others, and how they choose to use them.
March 4, 2020
Spiteful students & a vicious Headmistress - Madame Usher make Faye's (FMC) life a living hell in this book. When she accepts a job Manderley Academy. A job she has no choice but to accept for the sake of her mother & to further her studies to become a violist with free lessons. Like Cinderella Faye is treated like a servant and worse than dirt by the students. The worse being - Ivan, Titus & Dorien. Who all seem hell bent on breaking her. I love how strong and resilient Faye is. Not letting anyone get the better of her and fiercely loyal she is to her mother. My mind is struggling to work out everything that that happened in this book. Omg so much to keep in my mind. Horrible Headmistresses, Ghosts, Murder, Bullying snide students...........the list goes on. It was so flaming good!! I cant praise it up enough. Bring on book 2...........quickly please!!!!
October 12, 2021
3.5*
Steffanie holmes never fails to surprise me! Everything was done slowly, yet it was not a boring pace. You know that feeling like you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop? waiting for the bomb to drop? yeah i kinda have suspicions, but that sort of feeling was throughout the story, and it was exciting!
it must be the good timing of the secrets spilled or when things just kinda clicks
cliffhanger though ugh
Steffanie holmes never fails to surprise me! Everything was done slowly, yet it was not a boring pace. You know that feeling like you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop? waiting for the bomb to drop? yeah i kinda have suspicions, but that sort of feeling was throughout the story, and it was exciting!
it must be the good timing of the secrets spilled or when things just kinda clicks
cliffhanger though ugh
February 8, 2023
It may be too early in the year to say for sure, but I highly suspect this series will be at the top of my list for 2023.
Very much looking forward to seeing how the series progresses. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dark romance and spooky books that are just spooky and not terrifying.
Very much looking forward to seeing how the series progresses. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dark romance and spooky books that are just spooky and not terrifying.
June 2, 2021
F#@ktrumpets!!!!!!
Definitely pinching that word lol. If you know you know. There is so much intrigue in this morning. So many mysteries and unexpected happenings. I absolutely loved it and I had a suspicion but I'm not sure how truthful that ending is.
Definitely pinching that word lol. If you know you know. There is so much intrigue in this morning. So many mysteries and unexpected happenings. I absolutely loved it and I had a suspicion but I'm not sure how truthful that ending is.
December 3, 2021
This book was not for me. I struggled to finish this book. The end was so abrupt that it felt like the story ended in the middle of the book.
May 24, 2024
***A GHOST?***
It was a bit confusing to start with. The bullying and ghosting are horrible. I'm not sure I have the stomach to keep on reading the next book.
It was a bit confusing to start with. The bullying and ghosting are horrible. I'm not sure I have the stomach to keep on reading the next book.
February 13, 2021
I'm a fan of academy novels and bully stories are a guilty pleasure, and this novel definitely hit those buttons. And who doesn't enjoy a nice reverse harem story?! The main character, Faye, carried the narrative well, but, like most bully stories, it's difficult to find the balance between undeniable attraction and masochism. This one was okay. The reverse harem aspect, however, was largely unsupported. Dorien's attraction to Faye (and vice versa) made sense since they were childhood friends. Her relationship to the other two Broken Muses came out of nowhere.
My biggest problem with the novel was the plot. Stories should have a beginning, middle, and end or the structure of introduction, rising action, climax, and conclusion. This story had a beginning and middle and then stopped. No climax or conclusion. I'm not a fan of stories that end with cliffhangers, but this story seemed more like it just cut off in mid-sentence. It did not make me want to buy/read the next book to see what would happen. I just got angry and disappointed.
The story raised several questions in the beginning that it never answered. In fact, it answered very few: Faye's mother is in a coma - we find out how but nothing more, is Manderley haunted by a ghost - still not sure, who is making noise in the storage room - we don't know, who will win the Manderley prize - we don't know (though this one I could see extending to other books), will Faye end up with Darien (and the others) - don't know, why was Faye brought to the school - we don't know, why does Madame Usher want Faye to fail - we don't know, what happened to Faye's father - we don't know.
What story there was held my attention and some nice moments and great tension, but, for me, it was incomplete.
My biggest problem with the novel was the plot. Stories should have a beginning, middle, and end or the structure of introduction, rising action, climax, and conclusion. This story had a beginning and middle and then stopped. No climax or conclusion. I'm not a fan of stories that end with cliffhangers, but this story seemed more like it just cut off in mid-sentence. It did not make me want to buy/read the next book to see what would happen. I just got angry and disappointed.
The story raised several questions in the beginning that it never answered. In fact, it answered very few: Faye's mother is in a coma - we find out how but nothing more, is Manderley haunted by a ghost - still not sure, who is making noise in the storage room - we don't know, who will win the Manderley prize - we don't know (though this one I could see extending to other books), will Faye end up with Darien (and the others) - don't know, why was Faye brought to the school - we don't know, why does Madame Usher want Faye to fail - we don't know, what happened to Faye's father - we don't know.
What story there was held my attention and some nice moments and great tension, but, for me, it was incomplete.
March 3, 2020
Mind blown
Mannnn, Holmes is a master at creating villains. I’m feeling so very heated right now, and have such an intense loathing for the antagonist in this story I want redemption already. I really enjoyed this bullymance because Faye the fmc doesn’t forgive her bullies immediately. It happens a lot in some of the bully romances I’ve read and I always hate when that happens because then I’m left flummoxed like “is she really going to let that go?” Luckily that doesn’t happen in this RH, and I love it all the more for it. That ending??? I need to know more! Can’t wait for the next book.
Mannnn, Holmes is a master at creating villains. I’m feeling so very heated right now, and have such an intense loathing for the antagonist in this story I want redemption already. I really enjoyed this bullymance because Faye the fmc doesn’t forgive her bullies immediately. It happens a lot in some of the bully romances I’ve read and I always hate when that happens because then I’m left flummoxed like “is she really going to let that go?” Luckily that doesn’t happen in this RH, and I love it all the more for it. That ending??? I need to know more! Can’t wait for the next book.
December 21, 2020
- 4 stars -
*Spoilers*
This is the first book and audio book I've read/listened to by this author, and it was rather intense and scarier than I thought it would be. Especially the ending, which seriously creeped me out and it was probably not a good idea to read this book in the middle of the night when I don't really like scary things. I didn't really know how to rate this book as I've never read a book like this before, but I did deduct a bit of my rating because it left on such a creepy cliff hanger. I will admit that I did skim through a few parts, mainly when Faye was getting her revenge against the three muses, as it was a bit too tense for me and I disliked the thought that she was potentially ruining their lives to the point of it not being fixable, but then again what they did to her wasn't very good either.
About the romance: when I first read that it was a second chance love story and she mentioned being former best friends with Dorian, I knew she was probably going to end up with him. I was surprised by how quickly Ivan and Titus became attracted to her as well. I wasn't exactly into the idea of either of them being with Faye, as I kind of thought Titus was rather creepy/crazy in the beginning and Ivan had this whole obsession with his sister that I found to be a bit weird. But the further I got along, the more I felt bad for them because even they knew that Dorian has this attraction to Faye that they aren't familiar with at all in seeing in him, and Dorian is like the alpha of their group and pretty much always gets what he wants, even if it means they are unhappy. As I don't think they had any plans on mentioning their attraction to Faye when they figured it was going to be Faye X Dorian since he set his eyes on her. I was not expecting her to choose all three to be with, but I think it's the right choice as she is attracted and likes all three of them, and they aren't unfamiliar with sharing a girlfriend. So it will be interesting how this dynamic between the three guys and Faye is going to work out, as Dorian is already getting a bit ahead of himself since he believes Faye will choose him over Titus and Ivan in the end, and I don't think she has even thought about that. I honestly don't think she will choose between any of the three guys and they'll just stay in this closed foursome relationship, but this seems to be a new situation for all four of them, as I doubted the guys have all dated the same girl before, so I can definitely see some jealousy popping up here and there. But it honestly feels right that all three guys get the girl, as I think she is confident and feisty to handle them, but I think she also deserves having that much attention/affection/hotness towards her after everything she has been through. They also bring on different vibes to the relationship as well. I was kind of expecting some guy on guy action though, but that might be influenced by my interest in MM literature. Since there was no guy on guy action in this book, I highly doubt there will be any in book 2 or 3. The mystery to what on earth is going on in this haunted mansion: I literally have no clue. But I do think there is a possibility of ghosts being real in this book, or that cliffhanger ending had something to do with Heather's plan to scare Faye. Not sure how she did it though, unless she had a projector. I am not really into scary things but the summary, cover, and audio book intrigued me. I do think that either Harrison, Mrs. Usher, or the instructor has something to do with what has been going on. I think for one, that it was Mrs. Usher who somehow poisoned her mother by maybe paying the assistant to slip it in her tea, as I do have to agree with Dorian that it was rather odd that once Faye's mother got really sick, she was promoted to COO. Also, Mrs. Usher has a poisonous garden in her backyard and probably a grudge against her mother as well. Harrison and Mrs.Usher also seem to be the only ones that would probably have keys to a lot of the places on the property. But I also think that Elena is afraid of the instructor guy because he might have in someway violated her, either physically or in some other way. There has to be a reason why Ivan and Elana are inseparable to the point they share a room, don't want to go on any solo performances without each other, and attend lessons together. Despite the instructor's kind nature, a few people actually dislike or are afraid of him, also there were those rumors about him having a mental breakdown and being crazy. I actually thought he would get extremely mad about Faye ruining his shirt by spilling alcohol on it, but he acted calmly to the situation. I also think that maybe that violin that Faye had grabbed that made Mrs.Usher freak out so much, was either Clare's, Faye's father's, or her diseased husband's, or something that personally belongs to her. I really dislike Heather for what she is doing, as she seems really not right in the head towards the end of the book.
*Spoilers*
This is the first book and audio book I've read/listened to by this author, and it was rather intense and scarier than I thought it would be. Especially the ending, which seriously creeped me out and it was probably not a good idea to read this book in the middle of the night when I don't really like scary things. I didn't really know how to rate this book as I've never read a book like this before, but I did deduct a bit of my rating because it left on such a creepy cliff hanger. I will admit that I did skim through a few parts, mainly when Faye was getting her revenge against the three muses, as it was a bit too tense for me and I disliked the thought that she was potentially ruining their lives to the point of it not being fixable, but then again what they did to her wasn't very good either.
About the romance: when I first read that it was a second chance love story and she mentioned being former best friends with Dorian, I knew she was probably going to end up with him. I was surprised by how quickly Ivan and Titus became attracted to her as well. I wasn't exactly into the idea of either of them being with Faye, as I kind of thought Titus was rather creepy/crazy in the beginning and Ivan had this whole obsession with his sister that I found to be a bit weird. But the further I got along, the more I felt bad for them because even they knew that Dorian has this attraction to Faye that they aren't familiar with at all in seeing in him, and Dorian is like the alpha of their group and pretty much always gets what he wants, even if it means they are unhappy. As I don't think they had any plans on mentioning their attraction to Faye when they figured it was going to be Faye X Dorian since he set his eyes on her. I was not expecting her to choose all three to be with, but I think it's the right choice as she is attracted and likes all three of them, and they aren't unfamiliar with sharing a girlfriend. So it will be interesting how this dynamic between the three guys and Faye is going to work out, as Dorian is already getting a bit ahead of himself since he believes Faye will choose him over Titus and Ivan in the end, and I don't think she has even thought about that. I honestly don't think she will choose between any of the three guys and they'll just stay in this closed foursome relationship, but this seems to be a new situation for all four of them, as I doubted the guys have all dated the same girl before, so I can definitely see some jealousy popping up here and there. But it honestly feels right that all three guys get the girl, as I think she is confident and feisty to handle them, but I think she also deserves having that much attention/affection/hotness towards her after everything she has been through. They also bring on different vibes to the relationship as well. I was kind of expecting some guy on guy action though, but that might be influenced by my interest in MM literature. Since there was no guy on guy action in this book, I highly doubt there will be any in book 2 or 3. The mystery to what on earth is going on in this haunted mansion: I literally have no clue. But I do think there is a possibility of ghosts being real in this book, or that cliffhanger ending had something to do with Heather's plan to scare Faye. Not sure how she did it though, unless she had a projector. I am not really into scary things but the summary, cover, and audio book intrigued me. I do think that either Harrison, Mrs. Usher, or the instructor has something to do with what has been going on. I think for one, that it was Mrs. Usher who somehow poisoned her mother by maybe paying the assistant to slip it in her tea, as I do have to agree with Dorian that it was rather odd that once Faye's mother got really sick, she was promoted to COO. Also, Mrs. Usher has a poisonous garden in her backyard and probably a grudge against her mother as well. Harrison and Mrs.Usher also seem to be the only ones that would probably have keys to a lot of the places on the property. But I also think that Elena is afraid of the instructor guy because he might have in someway violated her, either physically or in some other way. There has to be a reason why Ivan and Elana are inseparable to the point they share a room, don't want to go on any solo performances without each other, and attend lessons together. Despite the instructor's kind nature, a few people actually dislike or are afraid of him, also there were those rumors about him having a mental breakdown and being crazy. I actually thought he would get extremely mad about Faye ruining his shirt by spilling alcohol on it, but he acted calmly to the situation. I also think that maybe that violin that Faye had grabbed that made Mrs.Usher freak out so much, was either Clare's, Faye's father's, or her diseased husband's, or something that personally belongs to her. I really dislike Heather for what she is doing, as she seems really not right in the head towards the end of the book.
March 4, 2020
Ghosted: A gothic reverse harem bully romance (Broken Muses of Manderley Academy Book 1) Kindle Edition
by Steffanie Holmes
I borrowed this book via the Kindle Unlimited program and am leaving a fair and honest review.
Buy this book. Read this book. Right now. I'll wait.
No one was safe at Manderley...
We all wore masks at Manderley. It seemed the only time we stripped ourselves bare was when we played.
It is always a good sign when you read the inner flap blurb and get the warm fuzzies. Ms. Holmes brings her unique talent for folding in bits and pieces of a genre to the Gothic Ghost Story. And you know those warm fuzzies? When I saw Madame Usher, my inner Gothic girl just squeeeed all over the place.
In the first few pages, we are gifted with references to Oscar Wilde, Daphne Du Maurier and Edgar Allen Poe. In just a few pages in the beginning, Ms. Holmes manages to create a Gothic atmosphere, something that other authors take chapters or entire books to do. The atmosphere of the house and of its occupants is delightfully creepy! The story has the feel of great and classic stories like The Yellow Wallpaper. There is a sense that something is happening but is it real. Ms. Holmes even brings in more modern Gothic/horror writers with references to Joe Hill.
Ms. Holmes also creates some of the best inside voice insults I've seen in a long, long time. Dickweasal remains one of my favorites. Ms. Holmes takes at least one opportunity at shameless, but adorable self-promotion with Faye, our heroine, reading the Lovecraftian RH Bully series, Miskatonic Prep.
Faye De Winter is a musical genius who used to have it all until her mother becomes mysteriously ill. In order to take care of her brilliant entrepreneur mother, she sells everything and gives up on her possible future as a classical musician. Until her former music teacher, the famed Madame Usher offers her the chance to study at her famous, prestigious school. But at price. Faye will replace the recently dead maid as a servant. She readily agrees. She finds herself the focus of three of the students, Ivan, Titus and Dorien. Dorien was once her best friend. Now, all three try to chase her away from the school while protecting their secrets. Can the tension between Faye and the three bad boys end in anything but a disaster?
The sensory impressions, from the unique scents of the boys to the emotions and feelings that classical music gives to its lovers and beloved musicians carve the story into the soul of the readers. Rich, haunting and every bit as Baroque as the music this book showcases.
Reverse Harem meets the lovechild of Henry James, Edgar Allen Poe and Daphne Du Maurier.
5 stars out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/Ghosted-revers...
by Steffanie Holmes
I borrowed this book via the Kindle Unlimited program and am leaving a fair and honest review.
Buy this book. Read this book. Right now. I'll wait.
No one was safe at Manderley...
We all wore masks at Manderley. It seemed the only time we stripped ourselves bare was when we played.
It is always a good sign when you read the inner flap blurb and get the warm fuzzies. Ms. Holmes brings her unique talent for folding in bits and pieces of a genre to the Gothic Ghost Story. And you know those warm fuzzies? When I saw Madame Usher, my inner Gothic girl just squeeeed all over the place.
In the first few pages, we are gifted with references to Oscar Wilde, Daphne Du Maurier and Edgar Allen Poe. In just a few pages in the beginning, Ms. Holmes manages to create a Gothic atmosphere, something that other authors take chapters or entire books to do. The atmosphere of the house and of its occupants is delightfully creepy! The story has the feel of great and classic stories like The Yellow Wallpaper. There is a sense that something is happening but is it real. Ms. Holmes even brings in more modern Gothic/horror writers with references to Joe Hill.
Ms. Holmes also creates some of the best inside voice insults I've seen in a long, long time. Dickweasal remains one of my favorites. Ms. Holmes takes at least one opportunity at shameless, but adorable self-promotion with Faye, our heroine, reading the Lovecraftian RH Bully series, Miskatonic Prep.
Faye De Winter is a musical genius who used to have it all until her mother becomes mysteriously ill. In order to take care of her brilliant entrepreneur mother, she sells everything and gives up on her possible future as a classical musician. Until her former music teacher, the famed Madame Usher offers her the chance to study at her famous, prestigious school. But at price. Faye will replace the recently dead maid as a servant. She readily agrees. She finds herself the focus of three of the students, Ivan, Titus and Dorien. Dorien was once her best friend. Now, all three try to chase her away from the school while protecting their secrets. Can the tension between Faye and the three bad boys end in anything but a disaster?
The sensory impressions, from the unique scents of the boys to the emotions and feelings that classical music gives to its lovers and beloved musicians carve the story into the soul of the readers. Rich, haunting and every bit as Baroque as the music this book showcases.
Reverse Harem meets the lovechild of Henry James, Edgar Allen Poe and Daphne Du Maurier.
5 stars out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/Ghosted-revers...
March 10, 2020
Hot, steamy and full of music and mystery, this read definitely holds the reader in the pages until the very end...and then, makes them wish there was already more.
As is with bully-reverse-harems, this book starts out with a main character, who is at her end and finds herself in a situation where she can't say no. The academy this talented violinist finds herself at isn't only a dream institution, but by agreeing to live, study and work there, she might be able to save her mother's life. But not only does she have to live the life of Cinderella while practicing and learning more about music, she faces a complete blockade when it comes to the students. They are determined to get rid of her no matter what, but that's not all that's on their minds.
This is a well-woven tale with a love for classical music, hot guys, even hotter moments, mystery, high-stakes and hints at intrigue. In other words, there is a lot going on. Mix that into an academy setting with the super talented and rich along with a lot of drama (which actually reminds of a high school in some ways), and it's a fast paced read with tons happening around every bend. To add to the fun, it's not even clear who or what the main character is truly up against...only that the stakes are so high, it could even cost her life. It's never boring, the characters are interesting and it's hard not to hope the main character finds out the truth and comes out from all of it somewhat unscathed.
As said, for action fans, mysterious-moment-lovers and hot scene friends, this is definitely a read to grab up. Still, there were a few moments which made everything cross the border of being believable. While these scenes are hot, they happen a bit too fast. On both sides. I was missing a convincing connection between at least the heroine and two of her guys...which I'm hoping will be strengthened as the series continues. But these guys aren't to be ignored either, and each has their obvious plus points.
I've spent a good chunk of my life around classical music and had to smile at several moments. Of course, music opens up feelings and the soul...which works great for all of the drama. The hot scenes in the music room surrounding the instruments was simply over the top, though. Not only would the supposed happenings not really work, but the musicians would never ever handle their instruments like these characters do. But fantasy is allowed fun, and it doesn't hurt the story for those who aren't into the scene. In other words, reverse harem fans who love a little darkness and tension will enjoy this one.
As is with bully-reverse-harems, this book starts out with a main character, who is at her end and finds herself in a situation where she can't say no. The academy this talented violinist finds herself at isn't only a dream institution, but by agreeing to live, study and work there, she might be able to save her mother's life. But not only does she have to live the life of Cinderella while practicing and learning more about music, she faces a complete blockade when it comes to the students. They are determined to get rid of her no matter what, but that's not all that's on their minds.
This is a well-woven tale with a love for classical music, hot guys, even hotter moments, mystery, high-stakes and hints at intrigue. In other words, there is a lot going on. Mix that into an academy setting with the super talented and rich along with a lot of drama (which actually reminds of a high school in some ways), and it's a fast paced read with tons happening around every bend. To add to the fun, it's not even clear who or what the main character is truly up against...only that the stakes are so high, it could even cost her life. It's never boring, the characters are interesting and it's hard not to hope the main character finds out the truth and comes out from all of it somewhat unscathed.
As said, for action fans, mysterious-moment-lovers and hot scene friends, this is definitely a read to grab up. Still, there were a few moments which made everything cross the border of being believable. While these scenes are hot, they happen a bit too fast. On both sides. I was missing a convincing connection between at least the heroine and two of her guys...which I'm hoping will be strengthened as the series continues. But these guys aren't to be ignored either, and each has their obvious plus points.
I've spent a good chunk of my life around classical music and had to smile at several moments. Of course, music opens up feelings and the soul...which works great for all of the drama. The hot scenes in the music room surrounding the instruments was simply over the top, though. Not only would the supposed happenings not really work, but the musicians would never ever handle their instruments like these characters do. But fantasy is allowed fun, and it doesn't hurt the story for those who aren't into the scene. In other words, reverse harem fans who love a little darkness and tension will enjoy this one.
January 3, 2022
I know the academy bully book trend is not going anywhere, and I know that a lot of them are going to be a bit same-y, same-y. This book is no exception to that. So in an effort to expedite this, I will go over the bullet points of my thoughts:
- Loved the narration style. Multi-POV is my favorite, and it's used well here. The characters are distinct, if a bit bland. They kind of read like watered down, unsure versions of the typical archetypes.
- It's weird that the author plugged her own book. It happens a lot in RH books, where the characters are reading other RH books by popular authors (Tate James is a very common name used in books written by people other than Tate James). But in this book, written by Steffanie Holmes, Faye is reading Shunned, by Steffanie Holmes. This is like an M-plot, it's so insignificant, but I just thought it was a bit cringe-y.
- The relationship between Ivan, one of our MMCs, and his sister Elena is borderline uncomfortable. I'm just going to leave it at that, because that may just be a "me" thing. Moving on!
- The progression of the overarching plot and the mysteries of the Academy is done very well. I didn't find myself getting bored because the plot kept moving. We're slowly learning more about the recent past, as well as the distant past. However, there are a lot of mysteries being presented... there's basically a mystery or two connected to every character except for Harrison. Sweet Harrison, you're a breath of fresh air.
- The villain, Madame Usher, is kind of chaotic, and not in the fun, crazy, unpredictable way. It's more like she doesn't know her own game, so there's no way for us to guess at it.
- The best thing about this book is the music. As a musician, it can be rough reading books about musicians that are written by a laymen. Musicians, as a rule, are pedantic when it comes to music. Sorry, we just are. When I read things that are just incorrect, it takes me out. I read a book once, where the main character wanted to harmonize on a final note, and called it "changing keys". Little things like that are big things to me. And to be fair, I'm a pianist, so my knowledge of violin repertoire is admittedly minimal. However, I was thoroughly engrossed every time there was a passage involving music.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I'm not obsessed. I did read the first couple chapters of book two to satisfy my curiosity after this book's cliffy, and I'm not sure when I'll continue. I'm kind of satisfied with the amount of story I got for now.
3/5
- Loved the narration style. Multi-POV is my favorite, and it's used well here. The characters are distinct, if a bit bland. They kind of read like watered down, unsure versions of the typical archetypes.
- It's weird that the author plugged her own book. It happens a lot in RH books, where the characters are reading other RH books by popular authors (Tate James is a very common name used in books written by people other than Tate James). But in this book, written by Steffanie Holmes, Faye is reading Shunned, by Steffanie Holmes. This is like an M-plot, it's so insignificant, but I just thought it was a bit cringe-y.
- The relationship between Ivan, one of our MMCs, and his sister Elena is borderline uncomfortable. I'm just going to leave it at that, because that may just be a "me" thing. Moving on!
- The progression of the overarching plot and the mysteries of the Academy is done very well. I didn't find myself getting bored because the plot kept moving. We're slowly learning more about the recent past, as well as the distant past. However, there are a lot of mysteries being presented... there's basically a mystery or two connected to every character except for Harrison. Sweet Harrison, you're a breath of fresh air.
- The villain, Madame Usher, is kind of chaotic, and not in the fun, crazy, unpredictable way. It's more like she doesn't know her own game, so there's no way for us to guess at it.
- The best thing about this book is the music. As a musician, it can be rough reading books about musicians that are written by a laymen. Musicians, as a rule, are pedantic when it comes to music. Sorry, we just are. When I read things that are just incorrect, it takes me out. I read a book once, where the main character wanted to harmonize on a final note, and called it "changing keys". Little things like that are big things to me. And to be fair, I'm a pianist, so my knowledge of violin repertoire is admittedly minimal. However, I was thoroughly engrossed every time there was a passage involving music.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I'm not obsessed. I did read the first couple chapters of book two to satisfy my curiosity after this book's cliffy, and I'm not sure when I'll continue. I'm kind of satisfied with the amount of story I got for now.
3/5
January 31, 2023
Storia interessante anche se naturalmente riprende alcuni clichè (ma è il genere che quasi domanda ciò), alcune parti e "misteri" sono abbastanza ovvi mentre altri ti lasciano con varie domande senza risposta.
PS.: Voglio solo specificare che la recensione fa riferimento al primo libro e parte del secondo che poi ho lasciato perdere. Per cui alcuni fatti potrebbero non riferirsi al primo libro.
La scrittura è stata quello che mi ha dato più fastidio. Infatti mi è piaciuta molto la protagonista per la sua forza e il suo carattere. Non si è arresa e ha dato pan per focaccia ai protagonisti.
PRO
✅ Protagonista
✅ Storia accattivante
✅ Alcuni misteri (Tipo, perchè Madam Usher voleva che Feye venisse a tutti i costi all'Accademia?)
✅ Alcuni dei protagonisti
✅ La musica
CONTRO
❌ Scrittura (Non è orribile, ma rovina abbastanza quello che c'è di buono nel libro. Un bell'editing e si risolverebbe il problema)
❌ Soluzioni che tra poco ti schiaffeggiano in faccia (Ma che non vengono minimamente considerate)
❌ Stessa cosa delle soluzione, ma con i vari misteri (Ovvietà signori)
❌ La descrizione di alcuni dei protagonisti (Per cui si può dire di nuovo scrittura)
PS.: Voglio solo specificare che la recensione fa riferimento al primo libro e parte del secondo che poi ho lasciato perdere. Per cui alcuni fatti potrebbero non riferirsi al primo libro.
La scrittura è stata quello che mi ha dato più fastidio. Infatti mi è piaciuta molto la protagonista per la sua forza e il suo carattere. Non si è arresa e ha dato pan per focaccia ai protagonisti.
PRO
✅ Protagonista
✅ Storia accattivante
✅ Alcuni misteri (Tipo, perchè Madam Usher voleva che Feye venisse a tutti i costi all'Accademia?)
✅ Alcuni dei protagonisti
✅ La musica
CONTRO
❌ Scrittura (Non è orribile, ma rovina abbastanza quello che c'è di buono nel libro. Un bell'editing e si risolverebbe il problema)
❌ Soluzioni che tra poco ti schiaffeggiano in faccia (Ma che non vengono minimamente considerate)
❌ Stessa cosa delle soluzione, ma con i vari misteri (Ovvietà signori)
❌ La descrizione di alcuni dei protagonisti (Per cui si può dire di nuovo scrittura)
February 2, 2022
This set took me a little while to read, since I started reading the complete set instead of each individual book as they were released.
Faye is a talented musician, but her home life is in shambles. She is forced to accept Madam Usher's offer to work at the Manderlay Academy and basically become her slave. A school of rich boys who look down on the help, Faye finds herself in Dorian's line of sight. Refusing to back down from him, he makes her life a living hell. But he's not the only one making her life worse.
This book was full of mystery, and the animosity created toward Madam Usher was brilliant. We dont really know who the villain is for quite a while, which added even more mystery to the story. I enjoyed that this was a bully romance that didn't push too hard on the bullying. Yes, Faye was bullied, but it wasn't overkill.
The way Madam Usher spoke wasn't nautral, and she was just spiteful for no reason other than to make the character the villain. This happens quite a bit throughout the series and doesn't get better.
Ivan, Titus and Dorien were believable characters, but the connection they had with Faye wasn't detailed enough to be believable. I would've liked to see more of their interactions before they jump from bullies to lovers. The steam and romance was definitely there, and definitely spicy, but the connection didn't feel authentic enough. It does happen fast, but that isn't a negative in my opinion.
I am not a classical musician, but the references were not lost on me. I loved that we got more insight into this world without making the writing dull. Classical music isn't for everyone, so the fact the author gave us a intriguing series of stories that have a focus on it was remarkable.
Faye is a talented musician, but her home life is in shambles. She is forced to accept Madam Usher's offer to work at the Manderlay Academy and basically become her slave. A school of rich boys who look down on the help, Faye finds herself in Dorian's line of sight. Refusing to back down from him, he makes her life a living hell. But he's not the only one making her life worse.
This book was full of mystery, and the animosity created toward Madam Usher was brilliant. We dont really know who the villain is for quite a while, which added even more mystery to the story. I enjoyed that this was a bully romance that didn't push too hard on the bullying. Yes, Faye was bullied, but it wasn't overkill.
The way Madam Usher spoke wasn't nautral, and she was just spiteful for no reason other than to make the character the villain. This happens quite a bit throughout the series and doesn't get better.
Ivan, Titus and Dorien were believable characters, but the connection they had with Faye wasn't detailed enough to be believable. I would've liked to see more of their interactions before they jump from bullies to lovers. The steam and romance was definitely there, and definitely spicy, but the connection didn't feel authentic enough. It does happen fast, but that isn't a negative in my opinion.
I am not a classical musician, but the references were not lost on me. I loved that we got more insight into this world without making the writing dull. Classical music isn't for everyone, so the fact the author gave us a intriguing series of stories that have a focus on it was remarkable.
July 9, 2021
Steffanie has a talent for writing some of the strongest female characters interlaced with a plot that is suspenseful, mysterious, and so much sexual tension that it could burst the Hoover Dam. Faye is such a gorgeous breath of fresh air with her determination, strength, passion, and talent. I have to say, honestly, she is one of my favorite female characters I have read in awhile.
This first book (it’s a 3 book series) opens the doors to the prestigious music school Manderley Academy, headed by the vile Mrs. Usher - who offers a position, along with a chance to win a sizable amount of prize money, to Faye that she couldn’t pass up. What Faye didn’t expect was running into a piece of her past that broke her heart and now he and his two best friends are trying to break her…or so it seems. Dorian, Ivan, and Titus are forces to be reckoned with but Faye doesn’t back down. These three are cold, hardened, and hiding a dark secret of their own. As the walls start crumbling down between these four, will it be enough to save them and prevent the past from repeating itself? Especially when it seems someone, or something, is out to get Faye….
Steffanie pulled me in from the heartbreaking beginning involving Faye and her Mom and had me invested with by the second chapter. This author has the talent of writing a story that has so many layers and they’re gracefully drawn back the further along you read. She has this way of writing both main and side characters that are so well developed that it’s like a movie playing in my mind as I read, which just pulls me in even further. I am fully invested and already have the second book downloaded, if that says anything.
This first book (it’s a 3 book series) opens the doors to the prestigious music school Manderley Academy, headed by the vile Mrs. Usher - who offers a position, along with a chance to win a sizable amount of prize money, to Faye that she couldn’t pass up. What Faye didn’t expect was running into a piece of her past that broke her heart and now he and his two best friends are trying to break her…or so it seems. Dorian, Ivan, and Titus are forces to be reckoned with but Faye doesn’t back down. These three are cold, hardened, and hiding a dark secret of their own. As the walls start crumbling down between these four, will it be enough to save them and prevent the past from repeating itself? Especially when it seems someone, or something, is out to get Faye….
Steffanie pulled me in from the heartbreaking beginning involving Faye and her Mom and had me invested with by the second chapter. This author has the talent of writing a story that has so many layers and they’re gracefully drawn back the further along you read. She has this way of writing both main and side characters that are so well developed that it’s like a movie playing in my mind as I read, which just pulls me in even further. I am fully invested and already have the second book downloaded, if that says anything.
February 28, 2020
I like this first book in Steffanie's new series. We meet Faye who is a great heroine with plenty of spirit. She does a good job of jumping from the frying pan and landing right smack dab in the hottest part of the fire. One minute she is sitting at the bedside of her sick mother, who is in a coma she may never come out of, and the next she is at Manderley Academy hoping to further her musical education. Since she has no money to pay for the privilege she gets to sleep in the attic and work as the cook maid, and general dogsbody of the establishment. On top of that her childhood friend, Damien, attends the school. He cruelly broke off their friendship years ago and though she follows his music she can't stand him. He and his two friends have a classical music group that tour and make beautiful music together. Of course the other Broken Muses attend Manderley also, figures. (Did I mention they are all three H o t?
From the first minute she arrives at the Academy she is put in her place and bullied by, well, everyone. She can't believe she actually thought the Broken Muses were hot. Aholes. She will show them that she can take what they dish out. But one girl has already died and someone is trying to spook her by playing violin music and keeping her awake. She hears footsteps when no one is there and freaking Damien keeps tripping her when her hands are full. When she finds out what is wrong with her mother she is really scared.
I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.
From the first minute she arrives at the Academy she is put in her place and bullied by, well, everyone. She can't believe she actually thought the Broken Muses were hot. Aholes. She will show them that she can take what they dish out. But one girl has already died and someone is trying to spook her by playing violin music and keeping her awake. She hears footsteps when no one is there and freaking Damien keeps tripping her when her hands are full. When she finds out what is wrong with her mother she is really scared.
I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.
August 29, 2020
HAUNTED (THE BROKEN MUSES OF MANDERLY ACADEMY, #1) BY STEFFANIE HOLMS
The Reverse Harem genre is my recent (since last year) addiction, and the Bully Romance sub genre my guilty pleasure and if it contains gothic mansions and ghosts and all things creepy? sign me the fuck up.
Steffanie Holms is one of my favorite authors of this genre - she writes a book, I read it. I enjoyed her Miskatonic Prep series and Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries series (desperately waiting for the next one!)
This one had everything I love - music, three handsome, sexy as sin boys, a great heroine and a mansion filled with creepy ghosts, characters with dark secrets of their own and melancholic music playing late at night through Unknown sources. The diversity in the character was refreshing too ( I was tired of seeing the same brand of guys, if you know what I mean). After months of not reading any bully romances, some of the scenes made me a bit uncomfortable, but overall I enjoyed it, except maybe, the cliffhanger?! THIS IS THE REASON WHY I DONT READ BOOKS WHOSE SECOND PART HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED. FUCK.
Anyways, if all of the above qualities appealed to you, (I know the cliffhanger wont, its okay - but that's the exception, we bookies secretly love this torture, don't we?) you should definitely give it a read!
Also, SHIT THE SECOND BOOK IS COMING OUT SOON! WILL HAVE TO GET MY GREEDY HANDS ON IT!!!!
Find me on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/CEel9wGjj...
March 1, 2020
So many secrets & I want to know them all!! The part I love the most about this book is the tangled web of secrets, that seem to get more knotted up by the chapter. There’s so much going on this book, and with each character. I like that it’s not just the main characters but pretty much all the characters in the book that have secrets. I’m wary of all of them haha. I’m excited to see where this all leads us.
The characters are all unique & yet somehow they compliment each other. I mean except for creepy Mrs. Usher and crazy eyes Heather. Those two I am not fans of & Aroha has me leaning more towards hate as well. Elena is a mystery and at first I thought her and Ivan had something weird going on but now I think it’s a protective brother trying to look out for his little sister. Titus seems the least secretive but that also makes me suspicious. Dorian is the bad boy with a heck of a lot of family issues. And then there’s poor Faye stuck in the middle of all this. Plus she’s got her mom to worry about and now a ghost!
I could go on and on about my theories & try and piece it all together but all I can say is read the book and be like me stuck with that cliffhanger wanting the next book right now! If you like books with mystery, HOT scenes, and a little (or a lot) of paranormal then I recommend you give this book a read. You won’t regret it.
I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
The characters are all unique & yet somehow they compliment each other. I mean except for creepy Mrs. Usher and crazy eyes Heather. Those two I am not fans of & Aroha has me leaning more towards hate as well. Elena is a mystery and at first I thought her and Ivan had something weird going on but now I think it’s a protective brother trying to look out for his little sister. Titus seems the least secretive but that also makes me suspicious. Dorian is the bad boy with a heck of a lot of family issues. And then there’s poor Faye stuck in the middle of all this. Plus she’s got her mom to worry about and now a ghost!
I could go on and on about my theories & try and piece it all together but all I can say is read the book and be like me stuck with that cliffhanger wanting the next book right now! If you like books with mystery, HOT scenes, and a little (or a lot) of paranormal then I recommend you give this book a read. You won’t regret it.
I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
March 9, 2020
Ghosted!
Faye De Winter is a promising violinist. Her father was talented and she is as well. Her father left her mother for Madame Usher the proprietor of a Music Academy for gifted students, Manderlay Academy. Faye’s father then disappeared.
Since then it has been Faye and her Mom. Faye’s mom gets sick and Faye’s world falls apart. They lose their home, business and way of life. Faye has to go to school and visit her mother who is in a coma. This leaves her very little time to practice her violin and advance her studies. They have fallen on hard times.
Then Madame Usher visits Faye and offers her a way to study her music and attend the prestigious Manderlay Academy. She will have to be a servant to the other students, cooking and cleaning all while attending classes.
She is bullied and her precious violin is destroyed. Faye fights back against the three hot guys Dorien, Ivan and Titus. There is an attraction and they are hard to resist.
Everyone is keeping secrets. What are they and how are they entwined with each other? Why does Madame Usher hate Faye? Will Faye’s mom survive the poisoning? Are there really ghosts?
This book was a page turner! So much going on and you are not able to put it down. It is a reverse harem but the mysteries surrounding the characters draws you in. Who is Madame Usher and what does she hold over these musicians? Be forewarned there is a cliff hanger and oh my, I am dying to know what comes next!
Faye De Winter is a promising violinist. Her father was talented and she is as well. Her father left her mother for Madame Usher the proprietor of a Music Academy for gifted students, Manderlay Academy. Faye’s father then disappeared.
Since then it has been Faye and her Mom. Faye’s mom gets sick and Faye’s world falls apart. They lose their home, business and way of life. Faye has to go to school and visit her mother who is in a coma. This leaves her very little time to practice her violin and advance her studies. They have fallen on hard times.
Then Madame Usher visits Faye and offers her a way to study her music and attend the prestigious Manderlay Academy. She will have to be a servant to the other students, cooking and cleaning all while attending classes.
She is bullied and her precious violin is destroyed. Faye fights back against the three hot guys Dorien, Ivan and Titus. There is an attraction and they are hard to resist.
Everyone is keeping secrets. What are they and how are they entwined with each other? Why does Madame Usher hate Faye? Will Faye’s mom survive the poisoning? Are there really ghosts?
This book was a page turner! So much going on and you are not able to put it down. It is a reverse harem but the mysteries surrounding the characters draws you in. Who is Madame Usher and what does she hold over these musicians? Be forewarned there is a cliff hanger and oh my, I am dying to know what comes next!
March 3, 2020
Steffanie Holmes has won a place in my heart with her writings!
Yes, her books are reverse harems and if it were any other author I wouldn't be so captivated by them. Don't get me wrong I admit I love the reverse harem set but it's so much more.
She enchants me with the way she articulates her stories and the characters. There is a deep, dark magickal feel about them. This particular book has a gothic feel that draws you in with the way her intelligence shines in her descriptions. It's like watching the book play out in front of your mind. You can feel the hurt that each character is hiding, or the dread of someone watching you but when you turn to look there is nothing there.
The mystery of the Muses and of Manderley Academy.
This book is VERY well written, with some of the most interesting characters (which says a lot since I didn't think that was possible after reading the authors Nevermore Bookshop series).
So if you have read old gothic mysteries, this is a must yet remember that she spices it up with the promise of a reverse harem. If reverse harems aren't your thing....don't let that deter you because this book is so much more.
I highly recommend Ghosted and can't wait to discover what all is hidden within the pages of the next book.
Yes, her books are reverse harems and if it were any other author I wouldn't be so captivated by them. Don't get me wrong I admit I love the reverse harem set but it's so much more.
She enchants me with the way she articulates her stories and the characters. There is a deep, dark magickal feel about them. This particular book has a gothic feel that draws you in with the way her intelligence shines in her descriptions. It's like watching the book play out in front of your mind. You can feel the hurt that each character is hiding, or the dread of someone watching you but when you turn to look there is nothing there.
The mystery of the Muses and of Manderley Academy.
This book is VERY well written, with some of the most interesting characters (which says a lot since I didn't think that was possible after reading the authors Nevermore Bookshop series).
So if you have read old gothic mysteries, this is a must yet remember that she spices it up with the promise of a reverse harem. If reverse harems aren't your thing....don't let that deter you because this book is so much more.
I highly recommend Ghosted and can't wait to discover what all is hidden within the pages of the next book.
March 9, 2020
Someone is out to get Faye and her mom. But why? Faye is talented and had to leave was a prestigious music academy afterl her father had an affair with the co-owner, Madame Usher, and then disappeared. For years she and her mother struggled then her mother went to college and had a successfull career but is now in a coma due to an illness no one can diagnose. Then out of the blue her former teacher and the woman who had an affair with her father promises to put her mom in a better hospital and let her come back to the academy if she will agree to cook and clean. But something isn’t right with the school and all six of the other students are tormenting her, especially a boy who was her friend years ago and then threw her away. And she keeps hearing music and bumps in the night near her room. Is there a ghost in the mansiion? And who murdered the previous maid. The police believe she was pushed down the stairs. Was it one of her tormentors? An then she finds out her mother had slowly been poisoned over time. Who has it out for she and her mom? They have never hurt any of these people and never knew any of them except Dorien and Madame Usher. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 1, 2020
Faye de Winter is a musician with dreams of the concert stage, bu when her mom gets sick her dream dies. Or does it? Out of the blue she is offered a chance to study at the prestigious Manderly Academy, a school for young, classical musicians. Her opportunity comes with strings, she is basically a slave for the woman who runs the academy, and the six other students. Three of the students are members of the wildly popular musical group known as the Broken Muses. Dorien was a friend to Faye at one time, as well as Ivan, and Titus, all of whom are sinfully good looking, and also responsible for the bullying Faye receives at the hands of the other students.
Wow, mystery, suspense, bullying, a haunting, and some dark, unexpected, and surprising twists in the plot. I think this is a must read. Definitely complicated, but at the same time compelling, lets not forget sizzling hot, characters most of whom seem to be caught up, and trapped in a scheme with a dark figure pulling the strings. Fantastic book, I loved it!
I am voluntarily leaving an honest and non-incentivized review of this ARC.
Wow, mystery, suspense, bullying, a haunting, and some dark, unexpected, and surprising twists in the plot. I think this is a must read. Definitely complicated, but at the same time compelling, lets not forget sizzling hot, characters most of whom seem to be caught up, and trapped in a scheme with a dark figure pulling the strings. Fantastic book, I loved it!
I am voluntarily leaving an honest and non-incentivized review of this ARC.
August 29, 2020
What can I say about this first book in this new series except for WOW!!! Totally brilliant. Loved it!! Who can't love three gorgeous bad boys and beautiful Faye. Faye ends up at Manderley Academy after her mother gets very ill and is now in a coma. She is recruited by the evil Madame Usher who once had an affair with Faye's father. He then did a bunk. He was also a world-renowned violinist and Faye also has his talent for the violin. She and her mother have no money left as it has all gone on medical bills. But she is recruited for a reason but what is it really? And who does she find at the academy but Dorien, her childhood friend who told her he didn't want to see her anymore and left her life. But he had his reasons for doing this. There is also Ivan and Titus, who along with Dorien, form the Broken Muse Boys, an extremely talented music group. But why do they have it in for Faye? Mysteries. Lots of mysteries. Ghosts? Mysterious music in the middle of the night. Noises in the walls. Danger for Faye. I cannot wait to start the next book in this series. If it is as good as this one then it is also a winner.
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