The Cruel Dark by Bea Northwick

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

A gothic horror romance that will have you doubting who to trust.

I loved the setting and the gothic vibes. The characters were really interesting and the pacing was great slowly revealing exactly what was going on. I loved being kept in the dark with Millie and trying to understand the motivations of everyone around her. There were a few explicit spicy scenes that were well written and erotic horror fans will appreciate.

"What might have been a sight from a fairytale was now fracturered, bare and frightfully sad." Millie is missing part of her past, it's gone and she's trying to rebuild her new life. She gets hired to help an eccentric millionaire/professor organize his library of chaotic notes and books. She arrives to the sprawling estate which has fallen into disrepair. Renovations half completed, entire rooms boarded up, and most of the staff gone because of ghosts.

We follow the entire story through Millie's eyes as she settles into her new lodgings, meets the unfairly good looking professor, and tries to ignore the voices whispering to her at night.

This book is best read in a greenhouse. If the candles burn out, remember there are only your thoughts and the cruel dark.