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House of Shadows #2
House of Secrets
Sophie and Joseph's escape from Northwood is short-lived. The beast survived, and attached itself to Joseph's young cousin, Elise. Garrett writes to beg for their help. Joseph and Sophie travel to meet him at Kensington, a long-abandoned mansion that overlooks a dead town.
The house offers a small hope: its original owner had dedicated her life to researching the monster that possesses Elise. Garrett hopes to find a way to kill the creature without harming his daughter.
But Kensington is a dangerous building. Once the carriage leaves, they're trapped inside the collapsing walls and forced to confront the horrors within.
Shrouded figures stalk them. Whispers echo through the night. Unmarked graves dot the property. And the dead are not as restful as they seem...
The house offers a small hope: its original owner had dedicated her life to researching the monster that possesses Elise. Garrett hopes to find a way to kill the creature without harming his daughter.
But Kensington is a dangerous building. Once the carriage leaves, they're trapped inside the collapsing walls and forced to confront the horrors within.
Shrouded figures stalk them. Whispers echo through the night. Unmarked graves dot the property. And the dead are not as restful as they seem...
244 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2016
643 people are currently reading
5555 people want to read
About the author
Darcy Coates
69 books14.1k followersDarcy Coates is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen horror and suspense novels.
She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates
She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews
April 17, 2022
Miss Bishop is the MVP.
PS
Bringing back Rose The Bitch only to have her dead ass slammed back to death was satisfying.
PS
Bringing back Rose The Bitch only to have her dead ass slammed back to death was satisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2020
Blog | Amazon | Instagram | Twitter
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
...the grand building held nothing but death and decay.
While House of Shadows saved itself with its second half of story, House of Secrets was not as lucky.
One of the things that sorted itself out in this duology was Sophie's character. Someone who began as a meek, weak and mousy being turned into a stronger and more confident version of herself. That seems to have completely crumbled in the second book. Sophie spends so much of the story obsessing about how much, or how little, her husband might care for her, that this all that occupies her mind.
She finds out that the Grimlock is not dead.
She finds out that Elise's life is in danger.
She confronts and sees the danger they all face at the new setting of Kensington house, with its secrets, and its hauntings, and its dead bodies... And still, her constant internal monologue about Joseph's feelings, or lack thereof, occupy most of her attention.
Coupled with this, I did not feel the sense of urgency that House of Shadows eventually built up to. Yes, there were a few tense moments here and there—the chase from the town alongside Elise to escape the dead, the fight with the Grimlock, Sophie's discovery of Elise's fall—but overall, it was a steady stream of “not much happening”.
I was glad to see the author's inclusion of Bishop's ghost in the story, especially since she and the legacy of her studies are main reason the characters converge in her house, but more often than not I felt like she derailed from the main plot. And whatever spooks and scares were given to us in the first novel barely showed their faces in this one.
The end of the Grimlock was not only inevitable but foreseen, and though it happened in a very rushed fashion, I was at least gratified by the fact that it was Elise who brought it about. She was due her own pound of flesh.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
...the grand building held nothing but death and decay.
While House of Shadows saved itself with its second half of story, House of Secrets was not as lucky.
One of the things that sorted itself out in this duology was Sophie's character. Someone who began as a meek, weak and mousy being turned into a stronger and more confident version of herself. That seems to have completely crumbled in the second book. Sophie spends so much of the story obsessing about how much, or how little, her husband might care for her, that this all that occupies her mind.
She finds out that the Grimlock is not dead.
She finds out that Elise's life is in danger.
She confronts and sees the danger they all face at the new setting of Kensington house, with its secrets, and its hauntings, and its dead bodies... And still, her constant internal monologue about Joseph's feelings, or lack thereof, occupy most of her attention.
Coupled with this, I did not feel the sense of urgency that House of Shadows eventually built up to. Yes, there were a few tense moments here and there—the chase from the town alongside Elise to escape the dead, the fight with the Grimlock, Sophie's discovery of Elise's fall—but overall, it was a steady stream of “not much happening”.
I was glad to see the author's inclusion of Bishop's ghost in the story, especially since she and the legacy of her studies are main reason the characters converge in her house, but more often than not I felt like she derailed from the main plot. And whatever spooks and scares were given to us in the first novel barely showed their faces in this one.
The end of the Grimlock was not only inevitable but foreseen, and though it happened in a very rushed fashion, I was at least gratified by the fact that it was Elise who brought it about. She was due her own pound of flesh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2020
This book never made the grade for me and I was disappointed.
I really didn't find this book as mysterious as the first book and I really just read it to get through the book. I really hate to do a "dnf" on a Darcy Coates book as usually I love her books along with the atmospheric haunting settings so I just kept reading hoping the book would get better, but to me this book just didn't live up to the standards of the first book "House of Shadows".
A little backstory for you readers.
James and Sophia Argenton are thrown back into the thick of things as the creature from the last book is not dead and it has latched itself onto the Joseph's cousin Elise. James and Sophia have to come to a decision of how they are going to rescue her cousin plus deal with the creature once and for all.
This book was really slow in the beginning up to the halfway point and though it did pick up a little speed, I just did not feel that same "mysterious dread" that I felt in the first book.
The first book was amazing compared to this one and I just could not feel every experience like I normally do with this author's work. I never could get back reconnected to the characters and there was just no "mystery spook factor" like there was with the first book. Giving this book three "disappointing" stars.
I really didn't find this book as mysterious as the first book and I really just read it to get through the book. I really hate to do a "dnf" on a Darcy Coates book as usually I love her books along with the atmospheric haunting settings so I just kept reading hoping the book would get better, but to me this book just didn't live up to the standards of the first book "House of Shadows".
A little backstory for you readers.
James and Sophia Argenton are thrown back into the thick of things as the creature from the last book is not dead and it has latched itself onto the Joseph's cousin Elise. James and Sophia have to come to a decision of how they are going to rescue her cousin plus deal with the creature once and for all.
This book was really slow in the beginning up to the halfway point and though it did pick up a little speed, I just did not feel that same "mysterious dread" that I felt in the first book.
The first book was amazing compared to this one and I just could not feel every experience like I normally do with this author's work. I never could get back reconnected to the characters and there was just no "mystery spook factor" like there was with the first book. Giving this book three "disappointing" stars.
July 28, 2023
Was this book objectively spectacular? Nah.
Did I love it? Oh yeah.
My Website | My YA Thriller Books | My Bookish Podcast | My Linktree | IG | TWTR
Did I love it? Oh yeah.
My Website | My YA Thriller Books | My Bookish Podcast | My Linktree | IG | TWTR
March 13, 2023
This is the second and final instalment in the Ghosts and Shadows series.
Sophie has only been married for a short while and the entirety of it has been plagued with terror. Her husband, Joseph, might not be responsible but he is at the heart of it. And now that the terrors have ceased, their close bond seems to have followed suite. That is, until a letter arrives and the pair must once again face their fears, together or alone, and return to the thing that almost once ended their marriage and their lives.
It feels so good to both start and finish a series in one day! This duology of historical, Gothic, horror stories are the perfect one-sitting reads, due to their relatively short size, the fast-pacing of the plot, and the mysteries that urge the reader onto the conclusion in order to find peace there.
I loved seeing these characters in a new setting but facing off against the same demons, this time, housed inside a new body. I thought the horrors were less prevalent here but the tension was increased exponentially, meaning my enjoyment was on par with book one and I finished this series impressed with what it delivered and satisfied with the apt conclusion to it.
Sophie has only been married for a short while and the entirety of it has been plagued with terror. Her husband, Joseph, might not be responsible but he is at the heart of it. And now that the terrors have ceased, their close bond seems to have followed suite. That is, until a letter arrives and the pair must once again face their fears, together or alone, and return to the thing that almost once ended their marriage and their lives.
It feels so good to both start and finish a series in one day! This duology of historical, Gothic, horror stories are the perfect one-sitting reads, due to their relatively short size, the fast-pacing of the plot, and the mysteries that urge the reader onto the conclusion in order to find peace there.
I loved seeing these characters in a new setting but facing off against the same demons, this time, housed inside a new body. I thought the horrors were less prevalent here but the tension was increased exponentially, meaning my enjoyment was on par with book one and I finished this series impressed with what it delivered and satisfied with the apt conclusion to it.
October 8, 2021
Another fabulous spooky book by this brilliant author! I enjoyed this just a tad less than the first one but I was still caught in a trance while reading this captivating story. It was a little slower paced than the first book but I was still super engaged in the storyline. I would love to see these books turned into movies! I’m a huge fan of Darcy Coates!! It was just as haunting and creepy as the first one! 💜❤️💜
April 22, 2020
Many thanks to Net Galley, Poisoned Pen Press and Darcy Coates for a chance to read and review this book.
House of Secrets is book # 2 in the House of Shadows series, and as always with me and my craziness, have missed reading book #1. Well, honestly, as I read book 2, never felt like I missed much but had a strong desire to know what has transpired in Northwood and their fight against the Grimlock. And the only Grimlock I have heard is from Transformers and thereby pictured it exactly like that in my mind.
Sophie and Joseph have won the war against Grimlock and is recuperating at Sophie’s father’s house when they are summoned by Joseph’s uncle Garrett to Kensington as the nightmare has reared its ugly head again. The much feared and dreaded Grimlock which Sophie had believed to be destroyed after the Northwood burned to the ground is not actually dead but has attached itself to Garrett’s daughter Elise. Arriving at the dead town and seeing the dilapidated and crumbling mansion that is Kensington, Sophie becomes adamant in her decision in helping Joseph and Garrett defeat the monster. And Kensington is the place to be as the late Miss Bishop has devoted her life to the study of this creature and its destruction.
House of Secrets is a fast-paced story with incidents happening one after another with the discovery of ghosts and decayed bodies in the collapsed part of the house and the dead town coming back to life with resurrected ghosts. The ending of the story was action packed thrill with everyone including the young Elise playing a part. The location and the menacing atmosphere add to the chill factor but I would have still loved to have more ominous and sinister occurrences with the Grimlock. The still developing romance between the newly married Sophie and Joseph was beautiful but Joseph’s hot and cold approach was confusing even with the reasons explained.
In all, a quick read that was immensely enjoyed.
House of Secrets is book # 2 in the House of Shadows series, and as always with me and my craziness, have missed reading book #1. Well, honestly, as I read book 2, never felt like I missed much but had a strong desire to know what has transpired in Northwood and their fight against the Grimlock. And the only Grimlock I have heard is from Transformers and thereby pictured it exactly like that in my mind.
Sophie and Joseph have won the war against Grimlock and is recuperating at Sophie’s father’s house when they are summoned by Joseph’s uncle Garrett to Kensington as the nightmare has reared its ugly head again. The much feared and dreaded Grimlock which Sophie had believed to be destroyed after the Northwood burned to the ground is not actually dead but has attached itself to Garrett’s daughter Elise. Arriving at the dead town and seeing the dilapidated and crumbling mansion that is Kensington, Sophie becomes adamant in her decision in helping Joseph and Garrett defeat the monster. And Kensington is the place to be as the late Miss Bishop has devoted her life to the study of this creature and its destruction.
House of Secrets is a fast-paced story with incidents happening one after another with the discovery of ghosts and decayed bodies in the collapsed part of the house and the dead town coming back to life with resurrected ghosts. The ending of the story was action packed thrill with everyone including the young Elise playing a part. The location and the menacing atmosphere add to the chill factor but I would have still loved to have more ominous and sinister occurrences with the Grimlock. The still developing romance between the newly married Sophie and Joseph was beautiful but Joseph’s hot and cold approach was confusing even with the reasons explained.
In all, a quick read that was immensely enjoyed.
January 31, 2021
This book is just as good as the first! Sucking me in and keeping me on the edge of my seat through the whole thing. I love Sophie and Joseph and the amazing love they have for each other. The secrets in this book had me so shocked I couldn't put it down! Darcy Coates has so much talent and is such an amazing author.
August 22, 2024
This book wrapped up the duology perfectly!
My favorite part was the creepy, secluded, gothic Victorian house in this one. I found the atmosphere in this one even cooler than in the first book. I’m a sucker for ghosts and a gothic setting 😍
My favorite part was the creepy, secluded, gothic Victorian house in this one. I found the atmosphere in this one even cooler than in the first book. I’m a sucker for ghosts and a gothic setting 😍
January 2, 2021
This book wasn't as horrifying as the previous one, but it was still pretty good. Sophie is a clever, brave and determined young lady, I really admire her. I'll definitely read more from this author.
March 11, 2019
Just as good as the first book! I really hope this isn't the end of the series. I want more...
October 4, 2021
I enjoyed this just as much as the first book. An intriguing blend of gothic horror, suspense and romance. Perfect for cozy fall nights.
September 18, 2022
Re-read August 2022
Still okay, just not as good as her other books.
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3.5 stars
Hmm, I liked this a bit less than the first book. Sophie got on my nerves a few times with her constant insecurities. And Joseph wasn’t that much better with all his mixed signals.
This starts out with Joseph and Sophie coming to Garrett’s aid when they learn the Grimlock is not dead. The 3 of them have to save Elise, who is possessed by the creature.
The only thing they have is a library full of books left by a woman obsessed by the Grimlock a hundred years ago. But while they are trying to figure out how to kill the beast, the beast is also trying to kill them….
While the romance in the first book wasn’t all that interesting, I was still happy Sophie and Joseph found each other. And that’s why I was disappointed to start this book with Joseph being cold to Sophie and Sophie feeling insecure for most of this book.
And with the bleak atmosphere I was starting to think they should all just die to get it over with. But… even though I wasn’t too into the romance and Sophie bugged me a bit with her whining about Joseph, this was still an interesting read. I liked the first book more, but this was not too bad. It did want more of the scary scenes, but alas.
Still okay, just not as good as her other books.
----------------------------------
3.5 stars
Hmm, I liked this a bit less than the first book. Sophie got on my nerves a few times with her constant insecurities. And Joseph wasn’t that much better with all his mixed signals.
This starts out with Joseph and Sophie coming to Garrett’s aid when they learn the Grimlock is not dead. The 3 of them have to save Elise, who is possessed by the creature.
The only thing they have is a library full of books left by a woman obsessed by the Grimlock a hundred years ago. But while they are trying to figure out how to kill the beast, the beast is also trying to kill them….
While the romance in the first book wasn’t all that interesting, I was still happy Sophie and Joseph found each other. And that’s why I was disappointed to start this book with Joseph being cold to Sophie and Sophie feeling insecure for most of this book.
And with the bleak atmosphere I was starting to think they should all just die to get it over with. But… even though I wasn’t too into the romance and Sophie bugged me a bit with her whining about Joseph, this was still an interesting read. I liked the first book more, but this was not too bad. It did want more of the scary scenes, but alas.
November 27, 2020
Thanks so much to #Netgalley and the publisher for an e-copy of #HouseOfSecrets.
Having read and enjoyed the first book, House Of Shadows, I have to say this book was disappointing. While I kept turning the pages, it just fell kind of flat for me. It was not really spooky at all.
My best advice is this: If you read and enjoyed the first book, give this one a pass.
Having read and enjoyed the first book, House Of Shadows, I have to say this book was disappointing. While I kept turning the pages, it just fell kind of flat for me. It was not really spooky at all.
My best advice is this: If you read and enjoyed the first book, give this one a pass.
April 15, 2025
Such a strange and creepy story. Joseph and Sophie were both so self sacrificing and were remarkable people who I couldn’t help but like! I didn’t think I could face the ending to this story, but Coates did a fabulous job of writing a satisfying ending to such a crazy, hopeless story.
July 29, 2024
3.75⭐️
I liked the twists in this one more than the first! Super fast and easy listen
I liked the twists in this one more than the first! Super fast and easy listen
June 18, 2020
Review for 'House Of Secrets' by Darcy Coates
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Poisoned Pen Press
This is the third book that I have read by this author. The first I read is called 'Hunted' and the second was 'The house of shadows', both of which I enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading more. This book is the second in the 2 volumes 'Ghosts and shadows' series.
I decided to read this book immediately after finishing reading the first book in this 2 part series 'House of Shadows' which I enjoyed and ended in a cliffhanger.
This novel consists of 32 chapters relatively short in length so perfect for 'just one more chapter', like that ever happens for me, more like 3 or 4 more!!
This book is fast paced and gripped my attention from the beginning and kept me sucked into the plot all the way until the explosive and action packed ending.
The second book begins with Sophie having nightmares about The Grimlock that we 'met' in the first book. It continues from there and even though it is the second part in the series I believe it could be read as a standalone. However, to get the best picture I would probably read the first book before.
Not sure what I think of Joseph in this book. I can understand why he was so stand offish in the first one but after what they went through and other events it annoys me really that he is still like this. It is like he has multiple personalities when it comes to Sophie. I wrote this earlier on in the book but understand now why this was done.
I really enjoyed the gothic romance and all things gothic, macabre and almost labyrinth feel about this creepy, disturbing horror. Although it wasn't as morbid as the first book there was still plenty to keep a horror fan happy.
The book is very well written throughout with fantastically gory descriptions which builds the picture up easily for readers.
The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages. It is filled with horror, suspense and tension and is perfect for fans of any of these types of books.
The characters were all strong and quite well developed. There were enough of them needed to build the storyline and not too many as to lead to confusion. Whereas Sophie seemed to be getting a stronger personality in the first book it seems that she 'reset' herself at the beginning of this one until she started to grow again. I enjoyed reading more about Garrett in this book as there wasn't that much of him in the first one to be able to make an opinion on him.
I would love to see this being made into a full length movie with the both books being brought together, especially with the fact that it is set in older times, brings some uniqueness to it, that as well as the whole storyline.
I would recommend this book to fans of horror, Darcy Coates and suspense.
246 pages
Free on kindle unlimited or £2.99 to purchase. I think this is a very good price for this book.
Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads for more reviews
#HouseOfSecrets #DarcyCoates #PoisonedPenPress #NetGalley #BookReview
@DarcyCoates @PoisonedPenPress @Bookworm1986
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Poisoned Pen Press
This is the third book that I have read by this author. The first I read is called 'Hunted' and the second was 'The house of shadows', both of which I enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading more. This book is the second in the 2 volumes 'Ghosts and shadows' series.
I decided to read this book immediately after finishing reading the first book in this 2 part series 'House of Shadows' which I enjoyed and ended in a cliffhanger.
This novel consists of 32 chapters relatively short in length so perfect for 'just one more chapter', like that ever happens for me, more like 3 or 4 more!!
This book is fast paced and gripped my attention from the beginning and kept me sucked into the plot all the way until the explosive and action packed ending.
The second book begins with Sophie having nightmares about The Grimlock that we 'met' in the first book. It continues from there and even though it is the second part in the series I believe it could be read as a standalone. However, to get the best picture I would probably read the first book before.
Not sure what I think of Joseph in this book. I can understand why he was so stand offish in the first one but after what they went through and other events it annoys me really that he is still like this. It is like he has multiple personalities when it comes to Sophie. I wrote this earlier on in the book but understand now why this was done.
I really enjoyed the gothic romance and all things gothic, macabre and almost labyrinth feel about this creepy, disturbing horror. Although it wasn't as morbid as the first book there was still plenty to keep a horror fan happy.
The book is very well written throughout with fantastically gory descriptions which builds the picture up easily for readers.
The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages. It is filled with horror, suspense and tension and is perfect for fans of any of these types of books.
The characters were all strong and quite well developed. There were enough of them needed to build the storyline and not too many as to lead to confusion. Whereas Sophie seemed to be getting a stronger personality in the first book it seems that she 'reset' herself at the beginning of this one until she started to grow again. I enjoyed reading more about Garrett in this book as there wasn't that much of him in the first one to be able to make an opinion on him.
I would love to see this being made into a full length movie with the both books being brought together, especially with the fact that it is set in older times, brings some uniqueness to it, that as well as the whole storyline.
I would recommend this book to fans of horror, Darcy Coates and suspense.
246 pages
Free on kindle unlimited or £2.99 to purchase. I think this is a very good price for this book.
Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads for more reviews
#HouseOfSecrets #DarcyCoates #PoisonedPenPress #NetGalley #BookReview
@DarcyCoates @PoisonedPenPress @Bookworm1986
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
December 12, 2022
Insipid.
After 3 books, I am done with this author.
House of Shadows (Ghosts and Shadows, #1) - 2.5 stars
After 3 books, I am done with this author.
House of Shadows (Ghosts and Shadows, #1) - 2.5 stars
August 13, 2024
Overall I did have a good time reading this story (mostly because of Darcy’s incredible atmosphere) but I’m not too sure if it was a sequel that was entirely needed! I did enjoy the plot and liked that we got to see a different side to the MC than what we got in the first book but nothing really WoWed me so it’s a good, solid 3⭐️
July 18, 2025
Wonderful conclusion to Sophie and Joseph’s story. Loved it!! Full RTC!!
July 1, 2025
3.25⭐️
This was so much better than the first one!!
This was so much better than the first one!!
November 24, 2021
Not much to say about this read. I loved it!
May 4, 2020
*ARC received from Netgalley in return for an honest review*
House of Secrets takes up immediately where House of Shadows left off. Not even a second is missing and I jump right into this read after finishing House of Shadows, excited about what could happen next. It held so much promise to continue its dark, gothic atmosphere that I couldn't wait.
What this read ended up as was a slightly less tension-filled version of the first book. You still have the horrors and frights but the anticipation of those scares and what is going on, isn't quite as strong in this book. It might be because we already know most of the tricks of the "Big Bad" and a little bit of the fact that Sophie, though learning to be strong in her own right, constantly struggles with the insecurities of her relationship with her husband. It has only been three weeks but it seems she has developed a bit of codependency that I really struggled with.
I did enjoy the digging for information and the connections that were formed around the horror storyline, I just struggled a bit with the romance getting in the way.
House of Secrets takes up immediately where House of Shadows left off. Not even a second is missing and I jump right into this read after finishing House of Shadows, excited about what could happen next. It held so much promise to continue its dark, gothic atmosphere that I couldn't wait.
What this read ended up as was a slightly less tension-filled version of the first book. You still have the horrors and frights but the anticipation of those scares and what is going on, isn't quite as strong in this book. It might be because we already know most of the tricks of the "Big Bad" and a little bit of the fact that Sophie, though learning to be strong in her own right, constantly struggles with the insecurities of her relationship with her husband. It has only been three weeks but it seems she has developed a bit of codependency that I really struggled with.
I did enjoy the digging for information and the connections that were formed around the horror storyline, I just struggled a bit with the romance getting in the way.
September 1, 2025
I didn’t realise that this was part of a duology, but I was unfortunately bored to tears throughout this one. I was left feeling really disappointed by the plot and the characters in this book, and it was just…boring.
The monster referred to clearly comes from the first book, and that’s okay. I could keep up with the happenings, but I didn’t think that there was much substance to this. It felt like this was a bit recycled and there was just no real meat on the bones.
I’ve loved another Darcy Coates, but I’m hoping that I find another winner sometime soon.
The monster referred to clearly comes from the first book, and that’s okay. I could keep up with the happenings, but I didn’t think that there was much substance to this. It felt like this was a bit recycled and there was just no real meat on the bones.
I’ve loved another Darcy Coates, but I’m hoping that I find another winner sometime soon.
August 31, 2024
I actually enjoyed this book even more than book 1. The first book was slow and boring in some places. This book moved at a fast pace and so much happening at once, and since we were already introduced to the world, characters, and monsters, the book didn't dwell on that too long.
September 24, 2024
While not as good as the first book, this was still a worthwhile conclusion to the story.
September 24, 2024
This was pretty underwhelming and anticlimactic compared to other Darcy Coates books I've read. Even the first book in this duology was much better.
July 14, 2024
I liked this one better than book 1. The plot was very fast paced and felt more like the other Darcy Coates books that I have read. I am really looking forward to getting into Darcy's other books, especially her ghosty ones.
May 30, 2025
This duet was just ok. 😒
Book 1 was better than 2 but I’m just rating this whole duet a 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
💘The romance was just ok. For most of book 1 and most of book 2 Joseph was distant and kept Sophie at arms length. So that was disappointing. I hoped that by at least book 2 he would stop pulling away from her regardless of his reasons.
It’s not fun to read.
🏚️Then we have the “Haunted” estates .
🧟♂️The zombie like creatures
💀The Grimlock
-These were all mysterious in book 1 but by book 2 I was bored. It’s was like… I don’t know… I already read this is book 1 why am I reading it again? Lol 🥱
Told in 3rd person POV in mostly all Sophie POV.
Clean romance
Safe
Age gap but I don’t know how much
Creepy
Mysterious
Creatures
Haunted house
Possession on a body
Arranged marriage
Victorian
No info given about either experience or past relationships or sexual history but I assume she was a V.
🎧Audios - 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Book 1 was better than 2 but I’m just rating this whole duet a 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
💘The romance was just ok. For most of book 1 and most of book 2 Joseph was distant and kept Sophie at arms length. So that was disappointing. I hoped that by at least book 2 he would stop pulling away from her regardless of his reasons.
It’s not fun to read.
🏚️Then we have the “Haunted” estates .
🧟♂️The zombie like creatures
💀The Grimlock
-These were all mysterious in book 1 but by book 2 I was bored. It’s was like… I don’t know… I already read this is book 1 why am I reading it again? Lol 🥱
Told in 3rd person POV in mostly all Sophie POV.
Clean romance
Safe
Age gap but I don’t know how much
Creepy
Mysterious
Creatures
Haunted house
Possession on a body
Arranged marriage
Victorian
No info given about either experience or past relationships or sexual history but I assume she was a V.
🎧Audios - 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
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