Review by Booklist Review
A party's after-dinner entertainment in 1902 results in a generational curse: each person who inherits Thorne Hall is tasked with keeping the house intact and watching over the spirits bound to it. In 2024, 25-year-old Elegy Thorne lives a sheltered life. Her father is deathly ill, and Elegy knows that she will soon have to manage Thorne Hall on her own. While some spirits are helpful, some, like Gideon, hate Elegy and enjoy torturing her. When one of the spirits causes a major flood, a contractor and workmen are brought in to repair the house. The contractor's handsome, successful son, Atticus, takes an immediate liking to Elegy. As their romance blossoms, Elegy starts to question the inevitability of her inheritance. Thomas combines a sweet romance with a haunted-house tale here. Though the volume of characters will have readers wishing for a character map, the love story is delightful, involving a sweet man who accepts the dynamics of the heroine's family life. This charming coming-of-age romance with paranormal elements will touch readers and have them eagerly turning the pages.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Thomas's shaky gothic romantasy debut gets off to a slow start, introducing Elegy Thorne, the heir to a strange estate haunted by centuries-old spirits that were bound to the building by her ancestors. Her father, Thaddeus, is nearing the end of his life, and Elegy is preparing to inherit both Thorne Hall and command of the spirits who live there. Unfortunately, the building is in need of repairs. Enter Atticus Hart, who, oblivious to the supernatural threat, is eager to do a full renovation. As Atticus and Elegy strike up a slow-burning forbidden romance, Elegy considers the possibility of a normal life, freed from the responsibility of caring for the ghosts, for the first time. But when the malevolent leader of the ghosts discovers the affair, he's unlikely to let her get away. The pace finally picks up once these stakes become clear, but the threat never feels particularly dire. Meanwhile, the huge cast of spirits proves difficult to track. The highlight is the romance itself, which feels balanced and believable. Readers shouldn't expect thrills from this love story with mildly supernatural trappings. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Elegy Thorne must live out her days in the crumbling mansion of her ancestors, who summoned a collection of ghosts only her bloodline can keep at bay. As much as she hates it, she's never questioned her duty, until their preservationist's charming son Atticus enters her life and shows her the possibilities of the modern world. If Elegy wants a different future, she'll have to find a way to banish the spirit collection, defying her father, her ancestors, and the dead she struggles to control. Thomas's (Asperfell, under the name Jamie Thomas) gothic fantasy captures core elements of the genre: a decaying building, a trapped heroine, and the past intruding on the present in more ways than just grisly phantoms. Elegy's fiancé Hugo is also constrained by familial expectations, agreeing to a loveless marriage to avoid being disowned for his partner, a man. The old-fashioned narrative voice reflects how Elegy is haunted by history, but a thoroughly modern love interest and a supportive circle of friends shift the narrative so she can put the past to rest. VERDICT Readers looking for a modern take on a gothic tale will enjoy this original, chilling ghost story.--Erin Niederberger
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