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What dark secrets lie at the heart of Harrow?

Welcome, everyone!

First, I would like to give a big thank you to all of my fellow bloggers who insisted I read this. It was exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for.

I’m so happy to share this review with you today. This was a killer read, and hopefully, my review will convince you it will convince you to pick it up and give it a chance to captivate you as well.

Enjoy!

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These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

Publication date: August 9, 2022
Pages: 365
Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQ, Horror, Psychological Fiction
Standalone

First line: The night Harrow found me, I was digging up a fox’s bones.

Synopsis provided by Amazon

The Haunting of Hill House meets Knives Out in a bid for an inheritance that will leave Helen Vaughan either rich…or dead.

Helen Vaughan doesn’t know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven’t spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she’s shocked to learn that he has left everything—the house, the grounds, and the money—to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: she must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she’ll be left with nothing.

There is more at stake than money. For as long as she can remember, Harrow has haunted Helen’s dreams—and now those dreams have become a waking nightmare. Helen knows that if she is going to survive the year, she needs to uncover the secrets of Harrow. Why is the house built like a labyrinth? What is digging the holes that appear in the woods each night?And why does the house itself seem to be making her sick?

With each twisted revelation, Helen questions what she knows about Harrow, her family, and even herself. She no longer wonders if she wants to leave…but if she can.

My Thoughts:

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and nothing I picked up was really exciting me.. until this.

From the very beginning, I enjoyed this story. There’s the mystery of Harrow, lost memories, Helen’s dreams and gifts, haunting figures that whisper secrets and warnings, family drama.. What’s not to love?

The writing is excellent. It’s absorbing and quotable. Dark. Intelligent. The more you read, the more questions you have and the need for answers is the kind of addictive that will have you invested from page one until the very end.

The characters are all very interesting, even the unlikable ones, and they all serve a purpose—whether it be to create suspicion or lead you further down the rabbit hole, each character was distinct and fascinating.

Probably the most shocking bit was that I even enjoyed the romance. It’s important to the storyline but is done in a way that doesn’t take over—it was kind of adorable, actually. Lots of ‘Awhh.. that’s so awkward’ moments that add a little sweetness to the book.

Typically, when you say ‘the end was my favorite part,’ it’s not a compliment. With this book? It absolutely is. The author did a brilliant job of taking all of these twisted, open threads and merges them together in a completely satisfying way. You think you know where the story is going, you may even be right, but it’s done in such a skilled, sly way that you can’t help but be impressed.

I would love to see the author create a prequel to this. Everything was wrapped up well enough, questions were answered, mysteries (for the most part) were explained, but there’s so much more about these people and this place that I want to know.

For fans of One Dark Window, Echo North, House of Hollow, and more—This is definitely one I’d recommend.

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed my review and now find yourself curious. It’s a great book to get lost in, so if you’re looking for something unique and addictive, this is a wonderful read to start with.

Happy reading!

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