I feel so awful that I’m just now getting around to sharing my thoughts on Monstrous by Cora Raven because I did receive an ARC. When this released, I was taking a little hiatus from blogging but I’m back now and ready to gush about this wonderful story! I have loved everything this author has written and Monstrous is no exception. It’s not my favorite, though, (that spot is held by Once Upon a Midnight Dreary) and I’ll explain why below. This review will be spoiler free.
I like to give a heat level rating for all books with romance. If you’re curious about my rating system, you can check it out here.
Synopsis:
In 1840s Victorian England, botanist Camellia Reed accepts a position as research assistant to the reclusive Dr. Nicholas Ambrose, a brilliant but haunted doctor studying memory loss through dangerous plant experimentation.
Desperate to recover her own missing memories after a mysterious collapse left her with gaps in her past, Camellia is drawn to both the doctor’s groundbreaking research and the man himself.
Ambrose House harbors dark secrets though: a plant servant named Hawthorne, a greenhouse filled with specimens that glow in the darkness, and the ghost of the doctor’s late wife whose presence fills every room.
But Camellia has her own secrets, never removing the green velvet ribbon around her throat. What does it hide?
Frankenstein meets The Girl With the Green Ribbon in this gothic romance steeped in botanical horror, forbidden science, and the monstrous lengths we go for the ones we love.
My Thoughts:
- Rating-
- Heat Level-
Though this book is not my absolute favorite that Cora Raven has written, it’s still worthy of a five star rating. What kept it from ranking higher was the overall plot. While I greatly enjoyed Camellia and Nicholas, I simply wasn’t as emotionally invested in their story. I think I struggled to care as much because I guessed where the plot was going in the beginning. The big twist is very similar to what happens in another book that I love, The Cruel Dark by Bea Northwick. Of course, I am NOT saying that this author was even inspired by The Cruel Dark. I believe both authors simply had similar ideas but that did take away some of the surprise for me, personally. If you haven’t read The Cruel Dark, you are going to be in for a huge twist in Monstrous!
Other than the predictable storyline, everything else was perfect. I loved, loved, loved the inspiration taken from Frankenstein and The Girl With the Green Ribbon. The body horror, unreliable narration and swoon worthy romance make this book a must read for any Gothic fiction lover.
Final Thoughts:
I feel like I say the same things in every review I write for Cora Raven’s books but I can’t help that I adore them🤷♀️ If you love historical Gothic romance that has body horror, botanical horror and living creatures that shouldn’t be, 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 reading
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