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Solita #1
Solita
“They say every house has its ghosts; but the Hacienda has only one.”
Sadie is her name, and she is passing through the motions of a life soaked through with the stench of death. Grief-ridden nightmares plague her every sleepless night, only to continue into the day when she awakens to the burden of running her family’s centuries-old estate:
The Hacienda Espinosa, a yawning, black-wooded beast of a mansion nestled in the jungles of the Philippines' Palawan Island, a house that offers Sadie nothing but a perpetual reminder of what once was, what can never be again. She is alone, save for the sound of her own lonely, broken heartbeat—that is until the day she hears another.
And it’s coming from beneath the floorboards.
Unearthing what was left to rot beneath the house, Sadie realizes her fatal mistake; the dark secret was never buried to be forgotten. It was buried to be sealed away.
It’s no mortal, no man, but the Hacienda’s first owner—a demon.
And he’s nothing like she expects.
It’s only through facing the past and her buried fears can Sadie find salvation as she upturns the Hacienda’s twisted roots, roots born from the faith and fire of the conquistas, the Spaniards who came from distant shores, bringing with them not only their God, but also their demons.
“Curses and love have collided; the account of such here is sweeping and told with prose that gently sways the reader through a romance capable of living amongst the classics.” Gillian Dowell, author of Paracosm , Found by Forbiddance , and Hello, Dove
“Rainn has created a vivid world that walks the line of reality and fantasy, perfectly blending them together; a perfect marriage.” Sabrina Voerman, author of Red and Æsa
“Solita is worth your time, your regard, and your attention. It is also worth reading for how spellbindingly it wraps around your heart and threatens to take it into the grave.” Stephanie Kemler, author of Bloodborn
“Every Gothic flavor one yearns for—the despair and the shadows, the smoldering demons, a haunted historic home—is supplied tenfold, but what is such a delight of this story is the cultural insight of a tropical world so rarely explored in Gothic literature.” S. Escobar, author of A Song Beyond Walls
Sadie is her name, and she is passing through the motions of a life soaked through with the stench of death. Grief-ridden nightmares plague her every sleepless night, only to continue into the day when she awakens to the burden of running her family’s centuries-old estate:
The Hacienda Espinosa, a yawning, black-wooded beast of a mansion nestled in the jungles of the Philippines' Palawan Island, a house that offers Sadie nothing but a perpetual reminder of what once was, what can never be again. She is alone, save for the sound of her own lonely, broken heartbeat—that is until the day she hears another.
And it’s coming from beneath the floorboards.
Unearthing what was left to rot beneath the house, Sadie realizes her fatal mistake; the dark secret was never buried to be forgotten. It was buried to be sealed away.
It’s no mortal, no man, but the Hacienda’s first owner—a demon.
And he’s nothing like she expects.
It’s only through facing the past and her buried fears can Sadie find salvation as she upturns the Hacienda’s twisted roots, roots born from the faith and fire of the conquistas, the Spaniards who came from distant shores, bringing with them not only their God, but also their demons.
“Curses and love have collided; the account of such here is sweeping and told with prose that gently sways the reader through a romance capable of living amongst the classics.” Gillian Dowell, author of Paracosm , Found by Forbiddance , and Hello, Dove
“Rainn has created a vivid world that walks the line of reality and fantasy, perfectly blending them together; a perfect marriage.” Sabrina Voerman, author of Red and Æsa
“Solita is worth your time, your regard, and your attention. It is also worth reading for how spellbindingly it wraps around your heart and threatens to take it into the grave.” Stephanie Kemler, author of Bloodborn
“Every Gothic flavor one yearns for—the despair and the shadows, the smoldering demons, a haunted historic home—is supplied tenfold, but what is such a delight of this story is the cultural insight of a tropical world so rarely explored in Gothic literature.” S. Escobar, author of A Song Beyond Walls
288 pages, Paperback
Published April 16, 2022
44 people are currently reading
3703 people want to read
About the author
Vivien Rainn
2 books87 followersWriting the stories about those who were never represented in the gothic literature she consumed as a child is Vivien’s life’s goal—for to pick up a book and see someone like yourself be the hero of their own story is all it takes for others to know that they can be the masters of their own fate, too.
When Vivien isn't writing, she's sewing historical costumes, daydreaming, or tending to her jungle of indoor plants.
When Vivien isn't writing, she's sewing historical costumes, daydreaming, or tending to her jungle of indoor plants.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
October 12, 2022
this BOOK. this gothic romance. i’ve been craving, desperate for something like this. this book just.. spoke to me. it is so beautifully written. i felt it all. the setting? the vibes? immaculate. i need more. i want more. the ending!! pure panic set in as the pages were dwindling down. i didn’t want it to be over. silas? i was simping for him from the moment he spoke in chapter 3. I CAN’T WAIT for the next one.
July 9, 2022
Solita is a love letter to grief, depression, and sorrow. It is marked in the most refined ink, in the most exquisite calligraphy, and certainly stamped with an ornate gold wax stamp in the shape of a ‘V’
Grief and loss become companions of us all at some points in our lives, and through the bonds with others are we able to heal. The raw yearning for connection and support can sometimes make us blind and force us into, or to stay in relationships that we were never meant to be in in the first place. This story takes you by the heart, drags you through Sadie’s coals, and then applies ice to salve the swelling, only to do it again and again.
The historical aspects as well as the concept of “demons” in this story are remarkably refreshing and addictive. It is everything that I look for in a gothic romance novel. This story is immaculate, and I will continue to make everyone I know read it.
Grief and loss become companions of us all at some points in our lives, and through the bonds with others are we able to heal. The raw yearning for connection and support can sometimes make us blind and force us into, or to stay in relationships that we were never meant to be in in the first place. This story takes you by the heart, drags you through Sadie’s coals, and then applies ice to salve the swelling, only to do it again and again.
The historical aspects as well as the concept of “demons” in this story are remarkably refreshing and addictive. It is everything that I look for in a gothic romance novel. This story is immaculate, and I will continue to make everyone I know read it.
April 11, 2022
SOLITA brings a fresh and delicious meal for us Gothic fiends to feast upon – and it’s a taste the we will never stop craving.
Every Gothic flavor one yearns for – the despair and the shadows, the smoldering demons, a haunted historic home - is supplied tenfold, but what is such a delight of this story is the cultural insight of a tropical world so rarely explored in Gothic literature. Vivien Rainn splashes her readers with colors of blue plaster buildings, Catholic churches, and verdant jungle in her masterpiece set in the Philippines. This is the cultural immersion I had been hoping for when reading Mexican Gothic, which ultimately failed me, but where Mexican Gothic lacks, Solita is utterly indulgent, inspiring me to research even more about this country’s fascinating history.
So much knowledge and research went into the Hacienda and its historic town, making it all the more believable and gripping for the reader. And Rainn’s eloquent prose is so layered with grief and gaspingly beautiful visuals – and every sentence drenched with atmospheric description – one does not doubt they can feel the bannisters and smell the wood of the house.
And then there is the story itself: a mystery which fills the reader with both dread and romantic thrill. Dynamic characters with shifting relationships and conflicts make the plot worth caring for. And then there’s the demon Silas… who is everything dreamy and frightening you want a 600-year-old cursed demon to be.
I am beyond impressed with this debut novel and cannot wait for what Vivien Rainn feeds us next.
Every Gothic flavor one yearns for – the despair and the shadows, the smoldering demons, a haunted historic home - is supplied tenfold, but what is such a delight of this story is the cultural insight of a tropical world so rarely explored in Gothic literature. Vivien Rainn splashes her readers with colors of blue plaster buildings, Catholic churches, and verdant jungle in her masterpiece set in the Philippines. This is the cultural immersion I had been hoping for when reading Mexican Gothic, which ultimately failed me, but where Mexican Gothic lacks, Solita is utterly indulgent, inspiring me to research even more about this country’s fascinating history.
So much knowledge and research went into the Hacienda and its historic town, making it all the more believable and gripping for the reader. And Rainn’s eloquent prose is so layered with grief and gaspingly beautiful visuals – and every sentence drenched with atmospheric description – one does not doubt they can feel the bannisters and smell the wood of the house.
And then there is the story itself: a mystery which fills the reader with both dread and romantic thrill. Dynamic characters with shifting relationships and conflicts make the plot worth caring for. And then there’s the demon Silas… who is everything dreamy and frightening you want a 600-year-old cursed demon to be.
I am beyond impressed with this debut novel and cannot wait for what Vivien Rainn feeds us next.
August 29, 2022
I was thoroughly impressed by Solita in a lot of ways. It has a lot of the hallmarks of a southern gothic tale, including a parallel story involving an animal and long-standing familial stuff, and an old house. But it took those things and set in the Philippines, and along the way I got to learn some cool history I didn’t know about. All that aside, it’s got the classic gothic trappings of love and death, as well as a large haunted house. Not only that, Vivien manages to write well in the present tense and she does so with vocabulary that’s only bolstered by her literary acumen.
November 29, 2022
This book was literally about nothing. Although the backstory about the main character was explained, her emotions and behaviour just didn't feel believable. It's hard to fully describe, but the characters just seemed to be doing trivial things; managing the hacienda without any guests - what was there to even do? There was nothing to latch on to that had meaning - it felt very forced and manufactured for the storyline of feeding a painful emotional environment. I also found the writing to be overly embellished and extremely vague.
June 15, 2023
we are throwing the word gothic around with such abandon these days
January 21, 2024
my thoughts are all over the place but this book was a love letter to grief and loss, a masterpiece of words and prose, and while it stresses me out at time and how lacking it is in actual plot, it captivated me. the true definition of all vibes, no plot but done fantastically. the romance also did not disappoint me.
March 14, 2022
Timeless, just like those of the authors that undoubtedly inspire Vivien Rainn.
It was my first loud thought as I stepped farther and farther into the story. It was voiced so clearly as I let myself become swept away by Solita, and it was just as clear that my first loud thought was correct. The talent had by the authors of classic literature is precisely what Vivien herself possesses.
When you’re so able and willing to wrap yourself up in a story so dark, in themes bleeding with sorrow, you know you’re being held in the palms of a writer capable of magic, capable of carrying you through a story that you won’t forget in this lifetime or the next.
Curses and love have collided; the account of such here is sweeping and told with prose that gently sways the reader through a romance capable of living amongst the classics.
It was my first loud thought as I stepped farther and farther into the story. It was voiced so clearly as I let myself become swept away by Solita, and it was just as clear that my first loud thought was correct. The talent had by the authors of classic literature is precisely what Vivien herself possesses.
When you’re so able and willing to wrap yourself up in a story so dark, in themes bleeding with sorrow, you know you’re being held in the palms of a writer capable of magic, capable of carrying you through a story that you won’t forget in this lifetime or the next.
Curses and love have collided; the account of such here is sweeping and told with prose that gently sways the reader through a romance capable of living amongst the classics.
October 10, 2022
Sometimes I know I will like a book and it doesn't make it any less sweet when that comes to pass. Gothic style romance? Yes, thanks. An underrepresented location and culture within gothic tales? Gimme. In Solita, the author takes a main character so encumbered in her own grief, that an 800 year old demon is awakened from his cursed slumber under her Hacienda. What drove me to read this beautiful book so quickly was the allegory and parallels in Sadie's grief, her feelings for a demon, and the tangible monster that is birthed when one has no hope left. I often felt, in Sadie's darkest moments, like the heavy humidity and heat which lay oppressive and relentless over her sleepy beach town in the Philippines, an urge to lay with my own heartache, and match Sadie's struggle to breathe. I foresee great things for Vivien Rainn, her Solita series, and her career as an author.
June 1, 2022
Solita is a gothic romance, but it’s also a study of grief. The grief of loneliness, of mourning family members who are no longer with us, and betrayal by those closest to us. Solita is a book of deep sorrows, but also, a bond that takes us by surprise.
I can’t wait for book 2 to see what becomes of Solita & the being whose eyes smolder in the dark 👀
I can’t wait for book 2 to see what becomes of Solita & the being whose eyes smolder in the dark 👀
September 5, 2023
It's giving ✨ nothing ✨
March 28, 2022
“Solita” by Vivien Rainn is one of the most arresting and engaging books I’ve read in some time. It’s utterly original in its demon lore with so many touchstones to the past, so many dark emotions, and captures a world of haunting melancholy. The atmosphere is a modern gothic dreamscape, a haunted house with demons beneath floorboards, but the setting in a resort on the beaches of the Philippines keeps it fresh and original. As a reader so familiar with European myth and legend, I was struck by how overlooked stories like Rainn's have been and what a lack that is in the canon.
It’s as if the suffering and history and lore of the Philippines, of that forgotten conquest, the generations of colonization, are buried as the demon central to this story once was. Asleep, untouched, but absorbing even still pain, tears, bloodshed. A grave dug by avarice and covered in the upturned soul of neglect. A beating heart beneath every floorboard in every island home. Those homes protecting buried hurt and loving its inhabitants in the warmth of a family. And family as faulty and tender and complex and loving.
Ultimately, that’s what this lush and mournful book is about: family. Not modern “found family.” No, Solita lives within the messy trauma of the ones we are born into. The grief that comes from losing family members, from losing ourselves and our own voices in the din, the tension of who we were, once embedded in a family, and who we will be once time has moved on and we are all alone. Though it is undeniably a story of a demon and a haunted house, the ghosts of the past might have the most frightening impact. And what is more haunting than the blood ties that bind?
No other scene was as touching to me as Sadie entering the church of her youth to speak of demons with the parish priest. There was a goodness to it, a sweet intimacy, that read so true to the experience of Catholics in their faith. Speaking of monsters in the walls of a church to a priest burdened by their weight. And it’s in that balance Rainn strikes so well that you see the sophistication of her talents. To hold many truths in her hand, to reflect on the goodness of man on the same page as his grief-begotten misery. When that discussion turns toward the endurance of suffering, of the heavy weight on young Sadie’s shoulders and the promise of heavenly reward for its bearing, it felt acutely Catholic in a way even Waugh was unable to capture. Solita is rooted in suffering, suffused with it, beginning and ending and each page in between.
I was halfway through reading when I was struck with the thought: I have something important in my hands. And that is my takeaway really. That Solita is just the beginning of this debut author’s story. I look forward to encountering her voice more often and reading endless lines like the ones she spins so expertly. “Hell is the canvas of your grief, painted in all the hues of your sin, your sorrow, your everlasting suffering… And your Hell, yours is stained the color of the sea.” Solita is worth your time, your regard, and your attention. It is also worth reading for how spellbindingly it wraps around your heart and threatens to take it into the grave.
It’s as if the suffering and history and lore of the Philippines, of that forgotten conquest, the generations of colonization, are buried as the demon central to this story once was. Asleep, untouched, but absorbing even still pain, tears, bloodshed. A grave dug by avarice and covered in the upturned soul of neglect. A beating heart beneath every floorboard in every island home. Those homes protecting buried hurt and loving its inhabitants in the warmth of a family. And family as faulty and tender and complex and loving.
Ultimately, that’s what this lush and mournful book is about: family. Not modern “found family.” No, Solita lives within the messy trauma of the ones we are born into. The grief that comes from losing family members, from losing ourselves and our own voices in the din, the tension of who we were, once embedded in a family, and who we will be once time has moved on and we are all alone. Though it is undeniably a story of a demon and a haunted house, the ghosts of the past might have the most frightening impact. And what is more haunting than the blood ties that bind?
No other scene was as touching to me as Sadie entering the church of her youth to speak of demons with the parish priest. There was a goodness to it, a sweet intimacy, that read so true to the experience of Catholics in their faith. Speaking of monsters in the walls of a church to a priest burdened by their weight. And it’s in that balance Rainn strikes so well that you see the sophistication of her talents. To hold many truths in her hand, to reflect on the goodness of man on the same page as his grief-begotten misery. When that discussion turns toward the endurance of suffering, of the heavy weight on young Sadie’s shoulders and the promise of heavenly reward for its bearing, it felt acutely Catholic in a way even Waugh was unable to capture. Solita is rooted in suffering, suffused with it, beginning and ending and each page in between.
I was halfway through reading when I was struck with the thought: I have something important in my hands. And that is my takeaway really. That Solita is just the beginning of this debut author’s story. I look forward to encountering her voice more often and reading endless lines like the ones she spins so expertly. “Hell is the canvas of your grief, painted in all the hues of your sin, your sorrow, your everlasting suffering… And your Hell, yours is stained the color of the sea.” Solita is worth your time, your regard, and your attention. It is also worth reading for how spellbindingly it wraps around your heart and threatens to take it into the grave.
July 18, 2023
I mean no disrespect to the author as always but i’m in the mood to rant.
I have so many thoughts about this book but also none since there was absolutely nothing to work with here. It was such a slog to get through. There was absolutely no plot to even talk about. 90% of the book was irritating filler. I kept waiting for SOMETHING interesting to happen and nothing ever did. I’ve never considered dnfing a book so far through until this.
Every characters actions and reactions never made any sense. None of them had any substance and all fell so flat. My favorite character was the damn bird. The chemistry between the two love interests made no sense. The whole book we’re in this weird love triangle with a demon and a douchebag that is so obviously a horrible person but the main girl cannot see it for the life of her. There’s a way to show abusive and manipulative relationships in a way that’s well done and this wasn’t it. I had to keep reminding myself the characters were supposed to be adults and not teenagers with the way they acted. The demon we’re supposed to fall for barely has any development (or substantial lines??) in the book and I still know nothing about this man. The only reason he fell for Sadie was because she had big sad girl energy?? Huh??
We never get answers as to why Silas was the one cursed, why he killed so many people, who his big bad father was and what his motivations were, or what lorenzo’s deal is. I hate when the villain is made to be evil just for the sake of being evil. I need to know the WHY to everything otherwise what’s the point.
Also!! I loveee purple prose when it’s done well. This book? I was skimming like my life depended on it. The use of long drawn out inner monologues and flowery words did not work at all and didn’t make sense most of the time. For being a book dealing with heavy topics such as depression and grief I don’t think it did it justice. I hated being given Sadie’s perspective the whole book even though it was in third person. The writing, the scenery, the actions and dialog between characters was all so far off from being gothic or horror that I really wonder why it’s marketed like this. The only thing gothic is the cover. I’m just hoping this doesn’t put me in a reading slump honestly.
I would recommend reading Mexican gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. If you like a well developed plot, characters with substance and an actual gothic atmosphere, you will have a much better time by FAR. Or pick up the Hacienda by Isabel Cañas. I haven’t even read that one yet and just know it will give me more than this book did.
I have so many thoughts about this book but also none since there was absolutely nothing to work with here. It was such a slog to get through. There was absolutely no plot to even talk about. 90% of the book was irritating filler. I kept waiting for SOMETHING interesting to happen and nothing ever did. I’ve never considered dnfing a book so far through until this.
Every characters actions and reactions never made any sense. None of them had any substance and all fell so flat. My favorite character was the damn bird. The chemistry between the two love interests made no sense. The whole book we’re in this weird love triangle with a demon and a douchebag that is so obviously a horrible person but the main girl cannot see it for the life of her. There’s a way to show abusive and manipulative relationships in a way that’s well done and this wasn’t it. I had to keep reminding myself the characters were supposed to be adults and not teenagers with the way they acted. The demon we’re supposed to fall for barely has any development (or substantial lines??) in the book and I still know nothing about this man. The only reason he fell for Sadie was because she had big sad girl energy?? Huh??
We never get answers as to why Silas was the one cursed, why he killed so many people, who his big bad father was and what his motivations were, or what lorenzo’s deal is. I hate when the villain is made to be evil just for the sake of being evil. I need to know the WHY to everything otherwise what’s the point.
Also!! I loveee purple prose when it’s done well. This book? I was skimming like my life depended on it. The use of long drawn out inner monologues and flowery words did not work at all and didn’t make sense most of the time. For being a book dealing with heavy topics such as depression and grief I don’t think it did it justice. I hated being given Sadie’s perspective the whole book even though it was in third person. The writing, the scenery, the actions and dialog between characters was all so far off from being gothic or horror that I really wonder why it’s marketed like this. The only thing gothic is the cover. I’m just hoping this doesn’t put me in a reading slump honestly.
I would recommend reading Mexican gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. If you like a well developed plot, characters with substance and an actual gothic atmosphere, you will have a much better time by FAR. Or pick up the Hacienda by Isabel Cañas. I haven’t even read that one yet and just know it will give me more than this book did.
April 24, 2022
‘𝘈𝘯 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵,’ 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘚𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘦’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵—𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴.
Where do I even begin? This book swept me and stole both my heart and my breath. I read this in a day which is a rarity for me lately.
Rainn's prose is a thing of beauty. I was captivated by the way she infused emotion and significance into each line, crafting a heady blend of despair and lush scenery. Her words evoked so much in me, I still haven't recovered.
She tackles complex themes of grief, pain and suffering, loneliness, the messy road to healing, and the double-edged blade of faith. Her gothic ambience, rich world, and gut-punch moments have left me reeling in the best way. This book wrecked me, then stitched me back together.
Sadie, our main character, is such a beautifully tragic soul that carved her way into my heart and will never leave.
I don't want to slip into spoiler territory. I knew almost nothing going in and it swept me away.
Fans of gothic romance, dark speculative fiction, literary prowess, and even gore will adore this book.
Where do I even begin? This book swept me and stole both my heart and my breath. I read this in a day which is a rarity for me lately.
Rainn's prose is a thing of beauty. I was captivated by the way she infused emotion and significance into each line, crafting a heady blend of despair and lush scenery. Her words evoked so much in me, I still haven't recovered.
She tackles complex themes of grief, pain and suffering, loneliness, the messy road to healing, and the double-edged blade of faith. Her gothic ambience, rich world, and gut-punch moments have left me reeling in the best way. This book wrecked me, then stitched me back together.
Sadie, our main character, is such a beautifully tragic soul that carved her way into my heart and will never leave.
I don't want to slip into spoiler territory. I knew almost nothing going in and it swept me away.
Fans of gothic romance, dark speculative fiction, literary prowess, and even gore will adore this book.
November 6, 2022
I’m having a hard time understanding what all the positive reviews are talking about, this book was hard to get through. There were too many dramatic words, no character building and a struggling story line. The setting sounded like it would be so interesting but it never gave what it needed to give.
October 12, 2024
Solita by Vivien Rainn is gothic poetry; a balm to my bleeding heart and a story I will not soon forget.
Sadie is drowning in her grief after losing both her parents and tending to the nearly empty Hacienda — the historic estate that her parents had been restoring — is her only distraction from her sorrow. But something is hidden deep within the floorboards of the resort: a demon sealed away centuries ago, cursed with eternal sleep, waiting to be unearthed.
What to expect:
- classic gothic elements blended
with Filipino history & culture
- generational curse
- exploration of grief
- slow burn paranormal romance
(not the central focus of the story)
- Filipina FMC x demon MMC
- he feeds on suffering & she’s got a lot of it
- poetic prose
- character-driven plot
- mild gore & dark themes
(caution: suicide/suicidal ideation)
It’s been awhile since I’ve read something so emotive and despairingly beautiful… I can’t believe this is a debut novel because I want to drown myself in Rainn's prose. It’s rich and intoxicating and stopped me in my tracks over and over.
Solita is for the gothic-loving sad girls; the depiction of grief, depression and loneliness is so incredibly raw… It made me ache! But it’s as much about pain as it is about healing and Sadie’s journey to salvation is so beautiful.
I mean, who doesn’t want a demon to save them from their suffering?
Please note that this is an adult romance but not erotica. If you're looking for a gothic romance with spice this probably isn't the choice for you. I found the dynamic and intimacy between main characters to be magnetic, transformative and emotionally charged.
I am so eager to continue Sadie and Silas' story in Silencia.
Sadie is drowning in her grief after losing both her parents and tending to the nearly empty Hacienda — the historic estate that her parents had been restoring — is her only distraction from her sorrow. But something is hidden deep within the floorboards of the resort: a demon sealed away centuries ago, cursed with eternal sleep, waiting to be unearthed.
What to expect:
- classic gothic elements blended
with Filipino history & culture
- generational curse
- exploration of grief
- slow burn paranormal romance
(not the central focus of the story)
- Filipina FMC x demon MMC
- he feeds on suffering & she’s got a lot of it
- poetic prose
- character-driven plot
- mild gore & dark themes
(caution: suicide/suicidal ideation)
It’s been awhile since I’ve read something so emotive and despairingly beautiful… I can’t believe this is a debut novel because I want to drown myself in Rainn's prose. It’s rich and intoxicating and stopped me in my tracks over and over.
There’s no doubt he saw it all, her grief, her pain, everything she’s tried so hard to keep buried, but to no avail. Just like him, it’s all been unearthed.
And it lays between them both in the shape of a gaping wound.
Solita is for the gothic-loving sad girls; the depiction of grief, depression and loneliness is so incredibly raw… It made me ache! But it’s as much about pain as it is about healing and Sadie’s journey to salvation is so beautiful.
I mean, who doesn’t want a demon to save them from their suffering?
Please note that this is an adult romance but not erotica. If you're looking for a gothic romance with spice this probably isn't the choice for you. I found the dynamic and intimacy between main characters to be magnetic, transformative and emotionally charged.
I am so eager to continue Sadie and Silas' story in Silencia.
June 9, 2023
A modern gothic romance set in the Philippines.
Fun fact about my love for gothic stories: for all the love of them, I always felt that the cold, dreary, blue-grey tinted style of the story could get stale. There's something about the missing sweat, the constricting and claustrophobic heat of a summer that's just adds another layer on top of the mysteries and horrors going on.
Solita FUCKING NAILS THIS.
Everyone knows I'm in love with prose, with how one uses style to create the essence they want. Rainn's is an exercise in poetic imagery, giving vivid descriptions that not only show us the actions that Sadie is going through, but also feeling every ounce of emotion that fills her.
There's so much evoking of passions in this book, namely surrounding grief and the way it manifests. Being locked into Sadie's POV creates this attachment, a sense of living in this time stalled loop of simply existing around people that don't seem to get it. Or don't want to. She does such an amazing job of this, between side characters with small parts to the larger supporting cast, that the moments Sadie does allow vulnerability, I felt my heart break.
The romance in this is also something that caught me by surprise. While I don't remember any explicitly spicy scenes, I FEEL like there were. The energy between them is strong, it's evocative, it's something I've not really read before? And maybe that's due to not having read beyond my usual genres, but catching it here, had me enthralled.
The plot moves briskly, never feeling to stall. Even the moments where we linger in the doom and gloom of Sadie's crisis, the words move across the page with such poetic elegance.
I do think it's also important to note that this book broke my reading slump. After having tried three other novels, some mainstream works, even an attempt at reading King, this was the one that made me fall in love with the story so much that I read the first hundred pages in a night.
Fun fact about my love for gothic stories: for all the love of them, I always felt that the cold, dreary, blue-grey tinted style of the story could get stale. There's something about the missing sweat, the constricting and claustrophobic heat of a summer that's just adds another layer on top of the mysteries and horrors going on.
Solita FUCKING NAILS THIS.
Everyone knows I'm in love with prose, with how one uses style to create the essence they want. Rainn's is an exercise in poetic imagery, giving vivid descriptions that not only show us the actions that Sadie is going through, but also feeling every ounce of emotion that fills her.
There's so much evoking of passions in this book, namely surrounding grief and the way it manifests. Being locked into Sadie's POV creates this attachment, a sense of living in this time stalled loop of simply existing around people that don't seem to get it. Or don't want to. She does such an amazing job of this, between side characters with small parts to the larger supporting cast, that the moments Sadie does allow vulnerability, I felt my heart break.
The romance in this is also something that caught me by surprise. While I don't remember any explicitly spicy scenes, I FEEL like there were. The energy between them is strong, it's evocative, it's something I've not really read before? And maybe that's due to not having read beyond my usual genres, but catching it here, had me enthralled.
The plot moves briskly, never feeling to stall. Even the moments where we linger in the doom and gloom of Sadie's crisis, the words move across the page with such poetic elegance.
I do think it's also important to note that this book broke my reading slump. After having tried three other novels, some mainstream works, even an attempt at reading King, this was the one that made me fall in love with the story so much that I read the first hundred pages in a night.
March 13, 2022
Solita is a story of grief; grief embodied, grief absorbed.
This piece of Gothic literature explores what makes us human, even those who are not human still embody the traits we do. Rainn has created a vivid world that walks the line of reality and fantasy, perfectly blending them together; a perfect marriage.
Sadie is a character not everyone can wholly relate to, for the suffering she had endured is vast, however, many readers will understand her utter devastation. Whether or not you have suffered like she has, it was easy to put myself in her shoes and understand that her sorrow was real. So real, in fact, that it felt tangible within these pages.
Every character stands on their own two feet. Every scene is bursting with emotion and description. And that final chapter was true perfection in every way.
I look forward to more from Vivien Rainn, for she is a master at prose and painting her story with words dripping with depth.
This piece of Gothic literature explores what makes us human, even those who are not human still embody the traits we do. Rainn has created a vivid world that walks the line of reality and fantasy, perfectly blending them together; a perfect marriage.
Sadie is a character not everyone can wholly relate to, for the suffering she had endured is vast, however, many readers will understand her utter devastation. Whether or not you have suffered like she has, it was easy to put myself in her shoes and understand that her sorrow was real. So real, in fact, that it felt tangible within these pages.
Every character stands on their own two feet. Every scene is bursting with emotion and description. And that final chapter was true perfection in every way.
I look forward to more from Vivien Rainn, for she is a master at prose and painting her story with words dripping with depth.
February 14, 2023
This is hands down one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. It's sumptuous and beautiful, romantic and heartbreaking and at times, truly terrifying. The prose is decadent as triple dark chocolate cake, just utterly delicious to the last bite. I loved Sadie. The whole book all I wanted for this girl was for her to be OK. No spoilers, but let's just say she's one tough cookie, and everyone but Silas underestimates her. Their mistake. 😈 And, um, Silas? ::fans self:: Oh my.
I was so impressed by the historical detail in this book, and I loved the descriptions of the setting, all the plants and the houses and the culture. It was fascinating. I didn't really know much about the Philippines going in to this, but this sleepy little beach town sounds like paradise, demons and all. :)
I really can't recommend this book enough. Can I just give it 10 stars? It totally deserves it!
I was so impressed by the historical detail in this book, and I loved the descriptions of the setting, all the plants and the houses and the culture. It was fascinating. I didn't really know much about the Philippines going in to this, but this sleepy little beach town sounds like paradise, demons and all. :)
I really can't recommend this book enough. Can I just give it 10 stars? It totally deserves it!
November 16, 2023
A beautiful portrait on the intimacy of grief.
October 27, 2022
A solid debut novel! I loved the setting, the fact it’s in the Philippines is really cool. The writing is beautiful and set the picture of the environment well, could easily picture everything. The way grief and loneliness was explored was wonderful, Sadie felt very real and at times relatable. The conversation around page 145 I adored especially. Silas is an intriguing character, love how poetic this man is. The romance is very slowburn, but I think it adds to the poeticness of it all.
For why I didn’t rate it higher, I wish there was more background to Silas, and for him to have had more of a part in the story. I felt he entered the picture and then was just chilling for most of it. Sadie got a bound 600 year old demon in her house, yet isn’t more frantic about that lol?! Seeing as this book is under 300 pages, there definitely could’ve been time to get to know him more. I mean the dude is a demon, he’s gotta have a history worth delving into. We did get some, but it didn’t feel like enough. I at times was like so where’s this story meant to go, let’s get this show on the road where we heading. What’s Silas’s actual point for being here, what’s his goal? Maybe it’s intentional to be kinda ominous, but I would expect a grander story from a character like him. I also didn’t really like the storyline of Isaiah and Odette. It felt like I was reading two different stories, one modern YA teen (even though they are in their 20s) drama, and the other gothic demon Silas. Something about it just didn’t feel like it was merging well, and for the most part it was actually separated. I mostly picked this book up because it’s classified gothic, but the storyline of those two characters kept getting in the way of me feeling like this is a gothic story/atmosphere.
Anyways I do look forward to the next book, curious to see where the story will be heading!
For why I didn’t rate it higher, I wish there was more background to Silas, and for him to have had more of a part in the story. I felt he entered the picture and then was just chilling for most of it. Sadie got a bound 600 year old demon in her house, yet isn’t more frantic about that lol?! Seeing as this book is under 300 pages, there definitely could’ve been time to get to know him more. I mean the dude is a demon, he’s gotta have a history worth delving into. We did get some, but it didn’t feel like enough. I at times was like so where’s this story meant to go, let’s get this show on the road where we heading. What’s Silas’s actual point for being here, what’s his goal? Maybe it’s intentional to be kinda ominous, but I would expect a grander story from a character like him. I also didn’t really like the storyline of Isaiah and Odette. It felt like I was reading two different stories, one modern YA teen (even though they are in their 20s) drama, and the other gothic demon Silas. Something about it just didn’t feel like it was merging well, and for the most part it was actually separated. I mostly picked this book up because it’s classified gothic, but the storyline of those two characters kept getting in the way of me feeling like this is a gothic story/atmosphere.
Anyways I do look forward to the next book, curious to see where the story will be heading!
August 30, 2024
This book was so emotive and DEPRESSSINGGG. If I were reading this in a different mindset it had the potential to be my 13th reason. I felt so sorry for the FMC throughout the whole plot, it was just shot after shot. Her dad dies of an aneurysm. BAM! Mum jump off a cliff. BAM! Annoying pick-me friend comes back to town. BAM! Unearths a demon in her basement. BAM! BAM!BAM!BAM! Girly cannot catch a break.
My roses:
Loved the descriptions and insight into Filipino culture
Cool cover
Nice moody, gothic vibes
My thorns:
Babes is sooo depressed (for good reason) but I actually cannot deal with it
Her whole support system is sooo shitty (apart from daddy Silas (when a demon is nicer to you that your actual friends you shou revaluate you life) and the Priest)
Read this book if you want to realise that you life isn't actually as bad as you first thought and if you are mentally stable enough to deal with this girl's trauma
My roses:
Loved the descriptions and insight into Filipino culture
Cool cover
Nice moody, gothic vibes
My thorns:
Babes is sooo depressed (for good reason) but I actually cannot deal with it
Her whole support system is sooo shitty (apart from daddy Silas (when a demon is nicer to you that your actual friends you shou revaluate you life) and the Priest)
Read this book if you want to realise that you life isn't actually as bad as you first thought and if you are mentally stable enough to deal with this girl's trauma
January 11, 2024
A beautifully written novel of a girl stricken with the grief of losing her mother (and father), where she is left to live through the suffering in a house, Hacienda Espinosa, marked by their most profound passions, as she watches those around her move on with their lives. Soon she awakens something sinister that resides below the floorboards of her colonial house, a demon known as Silas Espinosa who feeds on her suffering, in the most delicate manner as their affection begins to grow so does the evil around them but that doesn't deter them.
“...Those saints that abstained from the pleasures of life, fasted to starvation, mortified their flesh, drank the blood of the wounded—it was only they who saw the eyes of God, it was only through their agony that they were touched by true divinity, enraptured by their own faith.”
“I… I’m not a saint, Silas.”
“That I am,” he answers. “I found God. And I’m looking into her eyes.”
“...Those saints that abstained from the pleasures of life, fasted to starvation, mortified their flesh, drank the blood of the wounded—it was only they who saw the eyes of God, it was only through their agony that they were touched by true divinity, enraptured by their own faith.”
“I… I’m not a saint, Silas.”
“That I am,” he answers. “I found God. And I’m looking into her eyes.”
February 5, 2024
Solita was wonderful. It’s very difficult to find books with Filipino representation so this truly excited me. And in gothic romance form no less! The sounds, sights, smells, etc took me back to my childhood. I’m not from the Philippines (even though I’m half Filipino), but my parents are and, being I’m from Hawaii, my mother has told me the Philippines and Hawaii are very similar in many ways. The story and characters were well thought out and all the details of the culture from fashion to religion was so spot on from what I grew up knowing. Great research and use of one’s own background, as I know Vivien Rainn is also Filipino and is from there. Very excited to read book two to see how everything finally comes together and ends.
October 21, 2022
i absolutely adored this book. the gothic romance vibes were immaculate and the writing was so incredibly haunting and atmospheric, i felt like i was there. what an amazingly unique setting, the gothic architecture set amongst the tropical jungles of the phillipines.
i’m unapologetically obsessed with silas and need more content as soon as possible please 🖤
vivien you are so talented i am in AWE. thank you for blessing us with this beautiful story
i’m unapologetically obsessed with silas and need more content as soon as possible please 🖤
vivien you are so talented i am in AWE. thank you for blessing us with this beautiful story
November 6, 2022
Solita, Vivien Rainn's gothic romance of two accursed lines, one demonic the other subject to the torment of the former. A tale of sorrow that sees one young woman find salvation in a being that subsists on suffering. A gothic tale set in a land I'll represented in fiction that has a wonderfully cathartic ending.
October 8, 2022
such a beautifully written tale - perfect gothic story especially for this time of the year.
i loved it a lot! Miss Rainn weaves in such emotions of grief, loss, loneliness through Sadie with such beautiful writing that i couldn’t stop reading it. i was fully immersed and determined to finish it in less than a day and that’s saying a lot since i’ve actually started to fall into a reading slump (i blame uni !!!)
i loved it a lot! Miss Rainn weaves in such emotions of grief, loss, loneliness through Sadie with such beautiful writing that i couldn’t stop reading it. i was fully immersed and determined to finish it in less than a day and that’s saying a lot since i’ve actually started to fall into a reading slump (i blame uni !!!)
September 22, 2024
go on vivien rainn, give us NOTHING💌
October 19, 2023
2.5
I have mixed feelings about this book.
I have mixed feelings about this book.
September 9, 2022
A woven tapestry of conflict, desire, and the forbidden fruits that tempt us from within. Sadie is a woman who seems to be trapped by her own destiny, her inheritance a hacienda that keeps her rooted in her ancestral home.
That all changes when Silas enters the picture. A demonic & fearsome individual, but there's more to him than that, a level of vulnerability that he seems to only show around Sadie. She humanizes him, and what unfolds between the two is an inferno that neither can contain.
This novel is beautifully written, the prose has a floral magnetism that will carry you through to the end, and Rainn has established herself as a powerhouse in the genre of dark romance/dark fantasy.
I look forward to see what's next for her...
That all changes when Silas enters the picture. A demonic & fearsome individual, but there's more to him than that, a level of vulnerability that he seems to only show around Sadie. She humanizes him, and what unfolds between the two is an inferno that neither can contain.
This novel is beautifully written, the prose has a floral magnetism that will carry you through to the end, and Rainn has established herself as a powerhouse in the genre of dark romance/dark fantasy.
I look forward to see what's next for her...
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