A couple of weeks ago I reviewed Cora Raven’s first two books, Necromance and A Christmas Haunting. I enjoyed them so much that I wanted to immediately read her third release, Once Upon A Midnight Dreary. This book is so delightfully wonderful. I assumed I would like it, but I didn’t expect to love it. It is pure Gothic goodness. I’m going to try my hardest to keep this review spoiler free because the twists and turns are what makes this story so excellent.
I like to give a heat level rating for all books with romance. If youāre curious about my rating system, you can check it outĀ here.
Synopsis:
Dear Reader,
If you are holding this book, then know this: I did not imagine it.
Someone wanted to drive me mad.
Whether you believe me by the final page is entirely up to you.
You do believe me, donāt you?
Lucy Deveroux, Duchess of Blackthorn
Penniless, shunned by society, and marked forever by her motherās descent into madness, Lucy makes a desperate choice. She slips uninvited into Londonās most lavish masquerade ball, hiding behind a mask of desperation to secure the one thing she cannot survive withoutāmarriage.
Champagne loosens her fear. Music blurs her judgment. And then she sees him.
The masked stranger that sends her heart racing. Seductive, watchful, and unsettlingly familiar, he draws Lucy into a dangerous dance that ends in public ruinā¦ and a forced marriage neither of them can escape.
When the masks come off, the man who broke her heart years ago stands before her.
Sylum Deveroux, Duke of Blackthorn, vanished into scandal after a forced engagement to a woman who would never walk down the aisle. Tarnished by accusations of murder, he was never supposed to be in Londonā¦
Now she must risk it all to be with the man she never stopped loving. But once Lucy arrives at Blackthorn Manor, the true nightmare begins.
Footsteps echo outside her door. The servants watch her too closely. Sylum appears where he should not, says things he swears he never said, and a raven named Poe croons riddles about shadows, bones, and divided minds.
Is her new husband plotting her destruction?
Is the manor haunted by the ghost of his dead fiancƩe?
Or is Lucy unraveling exactly as everyone always feared she would?
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, Once Upon A Midnight Dreary is a gothic psychological romance with a torturously slow descent into madness, steeped in obsession, and macabre desire. A fever-dream of a novel where truth fractures, love becomes dangerous, and the mind may be the most treacherous monster of all.
And when the final revelation comes, one question will remain:
Who is the true villain in the story?
My Thoughts:
- Rating-Ā
ā - Heat Level-Ā
The synopsis describes this book as a fever dream and that’s exactly what it is. Nothing is what it seems and when you think you have it all figured out, you don’t. My favorite types of books have an unreliable narrator and Lucy is just that. She is so likable and I wanted the best for her… even though I couldn’t fully trust her. Throughout the story, you’re never sure if she’s mentally ill, if someone is conspiring against her or if she’s experiencing the supernatural. Even the ending doesn’t fully clear things up and it’s more of a “choose your own adventure.”
I loved everything about this book. The Edgar Allan Poe references were fantastic and of course, the raven, named Poe, was one of my favorites. I loved the spooky mansion setting and just the overall creepy vibes. I’m also a sucker for a good romance and Lucy and Sylum were tragically perfect together. It’s rare that I say this, but I can’t think of anything to complain about and that’s why this is a five star read.
Final Thoughts:
If you love historical Gothic romance that’s spooky and mysterious, I can’t recommend this book enough. I am so excited to read whatever Cora Raven publishes next. Let me know if this sounds like a book you’d be interested in! Thanks for readingš¤
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