Would you move into a haunted cottage? For Lucy Muir, the ghost of a grumpy old sea captain turns out to be just what she needed to complete her picture of perfect domestic bliss in The Ghost and Mrs Muir. The novel was published by Irish author Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym R. A. Dick in 1945. It was adapted into a popular film in 1947, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. If you’re looking for something sweet, slow, and low-stakes to read this summer, definitely check out this classic! Continue reading Review of The Ghost and Mrs Muir—Midcentury Ghost Romance
Tag: romance
Review of In the Vanishers’ Palace—Loving a Monster
In a corrupted and poisoned world, the worst diseases can only be cured with the aid of a powerful dragon. But a dragon’s help always comes with a price. Aliette de Bodard beautifully blends the post-apocalyptic genre with Vietnamese-inspired fantasy (and some spicy sapphic romance) in her 2018 novella In the Vanishers’ Palace. Continue reading Review of In the Vanishers’ Palace—Loving a Monster
Gothic Vocab: Romance
You’ll often hear the term “Gothic romance” tossed about, sometimes in wildly different contexts. Are we talking about mid-century pulp novels whose covers feature women in flowing gowns fleeing from brooding men and looming castles? Or are we talking about The Castle of Otranto—a novel which hardly contains anything that modern readers would recognize as romance. To understand the many meanings of a phrase like “Gothic romance,” we have to dive into the history of what the words “romance” and “romantic” have meant in a literary context over the years.
Review of The Witch King
Would you want to rule over a kingdom that hates you? Wyatt Croft certainly doesn’t in H. E. Edgmon’s The Witch King. This debut YA fantasy novel came out this past summer and centers on a trans witch who escapes from a fae kingdom, only to be dragged right back into its politics and prejudices—and romance! I’ve been hearing so much hype for this book this year, and I’m so glad I finally got the chance to read it. Continue reading Review of The Witch King
Review of Lakesedge—Monsters and Magic in YA Gothic
What would you trade for the power to protect those you love? Violeta bargains with gods and monsters in Lyndall Clipstone’s debut YA novel, Lakesedge. Described as a “lush gothic fantasy,” Lakesedge comes out tomorrow, September 28. Continue reading Review of Lakesedge—Monsters and Magic in YA Gothic
Review of The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle
Even Gothic romance authors deserve a Gothic romance of their own. Lisa Greer gets meta about the genre in her self-published romance novel, The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle, which came out earlier this year. If you’re looking for something fun to read this summer that blends the sweet and silly with the spooky and atmospheric, give this one a shot! Continue reading Review of The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle
Review of Sorcerer to the Crown–Ambition and Fairy Bargains
Magic is drying up in Great Britain and the blame is about to be placed on the country’s most hated magician.… Sorcerer to the Crown was the debut novel by Zen Cho, which came out back in 2015. It’s a striking read-alike to a more recent release, The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk. Both explore sexism and clashing cultures in a magical alternate Regency setting. But Sorcerer to the Crown adds one more element that I love—the fae. Continue reading Review of Sorcerer to the Crown–Ambition and Fairy Bargains
Review of The Wife in the Attic—A Sapphic Jane Eyre
What if the governess fell in love with … the wife in the attic? This is essentially the premise of Rose Lerner’s new novel The Wife in the Attic, which was just released as an Audible Original last month. I’ve been devouring audiobooks like candy since the start of the pandemic, so what could be better than a queer reimagining of one of my favorite Gothic novels released exclusively in audio? And as someone who has always been way more sympathetic toward Bertha Mason than Mr. Rochester, The Wife in the Attic was everything I could ask for. Continue reading Review of The Wife in the Attic—A Sapphic Jane Eyre
The Gentleman and the Thief Review
A music teacher who moonlights as a sneak thief and a penniless gentleman with a knack for uncovering secrets—what could possibly go wrong? The Gentleman and the Thief by Sarah M. Eden is the sequel to The Lady and the Highwayman, one of my favorite books from 2019. I’ve been keeping this cozy historical romance at the ready to serve as a comfort read during this dark and dreary winter, and I’m so glad I did. This book had everything I’ve come to expect from the Dread Penny Society series: an abundance of mystery, a sweet courtship between two lovable protagonists, and a clever interplay with the uniquely Victorian literary phenomenon of the penny dreadful. If you need to keep the love going post–Valentine’s Day, I can’t recommend this series enough! Continue reading The Gentleman and the Thief Review
Review of The Midnight Bargain—Fantasy and Feminism
Would you risk everything for magic? Beatrice Clayborn faces this choice in C. L. Polk’s latest fantasy novel, The Midnight Bargain. Polk expertly explores themes of women’s rights and bodily autonomy by taking the tropes and atmosphere of a Regency romance and transporting them into an original fantasy world where the practice of magic is segregated by gender. The Midnight Bargain was released just last week, and you can find it in stores now. Continue reading Review of The Midnight Bargain—Fantasy and Feminism