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A review by emilypoche
The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall by J. Ann Thomas
4.0
Thank you to Alcove Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall by J. Ann Thomas is a story of a young woman bound to an antiquated, stifling ancestral home by not only an overbearing patriarch but a collection of ghosts that also call the estate home. When a burst pipe calls little-seen outsiders into the home, the main character is left grappling with both her desires that conflict with her duties and with her attraction to the contractor’s son. This book is very much a spooky, gothic romance. In reading it, I was very much struck by how similar the concept was to UK and US versions of the show ‘Ghosts,’ but with a much darker tone and a through plot of romance and longing. Another review cited the book ‘Starling House’ when listing similar books, and I’m inclined to agree. For fans of star crossed romances from two different worlds, spooky and dangerous crumbling estates, and headstrong main characters struggling with identity, this book may be right up your alley. I certainly enjoyed it, ripping through it in just under a day.
What I loved most about the book was the atmospheric details that the author included. The scenery of every room of the mansion, every outfit, every ghost’s terrifying appearance was rendered in vivid detail. The book really came alive in my mind’s eye, as Thomas very painstakingly created an eerie mansion in the Berkshires, with starkly contrasting visits from the rich and modern friends Floss and Hugo. If you love highly detailed imagery and lots of set dressing, this book is for you.
I also really appreciated how the attraction that Elegy felt for Atticus felt very genuine. It didn’t feel at any point like the characters were just being forced together. She was had a shy crush, an awkward period, and more. It didn’t feel like things were being mashed together to get things going. I really appreciated the way that the author built their relationship in a way that felt engaging and at the same time grounded in general, mutual attraction.
What was slightly less successful for me was the fact that some of Elegy’s traits seemed inconsistent. What she would or wouldn’t know, what she would or wouldn’t do, all of it seemed somewhat inconsistent. It was hard to get a very firm grasp on what her speaking pattern was like, because it did sort of vary at different parts of the book. While there weren’t ever egregiously out of character moments, it at time felt like she wasn’t totally nailed down in her identity. My main qualm with the book was that all of the lore and backstory for the occult happenings, the “promise,” and the other magical elements seemed slapped on the last few chapters. Unlike other elements of the book, the back story didn’t have much foreshadowing or very many elements that were woven into the plot earlier. The presence of characters that would come to be of great importance wouldn’t even be mentioned more than in a single passing earlier in the story until the last 20%. It just felt as if the story was so fleshed out except for connecting some points together.
I think for fans of gothic-influenced romances and spooky but not terrifying haunted houses, this would be a great read. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the descriptions of all of the different ghosts (and there are plenty.) 4/5 stars!
The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall by J. Ann Thomas is a story of a young woman bound to an antiquated, stifling ancestral home by not only an overbearing patriarch but a collection of ghosts that also call the estate home. When a burst pipe calls little-seen outsiders into the home, the main character is left grappling with both her desires that conflict with her duties and with her attraction to the contractor’s son. This book is very much a spooky, gothic romance. In reading it, I was very much struck by how similar the concept was to UK and US versions of the show ‘Ghosts,’ but with a much darker tone and a through plot of romance and longing. Another review cited the book ‘Starling House’ when listing similar books, and I’m inclined to agree. For fans of star crossed romances from two different worlds, spooky and dangerous crumbling estates, and headstrong main characters struggling with identity, this book may be right up your alley. I certainly enjoyed it, ripping through it in just under a day.
What I loved most about the book was the atmospheric details that the author included. The scenery of every room of the mansion, every outfit, every ghost’s terrifying appearance was rendered in vivid detail. The book really came alive in my mind’s eye, as Thomas very painstakingly created an eerie mansion in the Berkshires, with starkly contrasting visits from the rich and modern friends Floss and Hugo. If you love highly detailed imagery and lots of set dressing, this book is for you.
I also really appreciated how the attraction that Elegy felt for Atticus felt very genuine. It didn’t feel at any point like the characters were just being forced together. She was had a shy crush, an awkward period, and more. It didn’t feel like things were being mashed together to get things going. I really appreciated the way that the author built their relationship in a way that felt engaging and at the same time grounded in general, mutual attraction.
What was slightly less successful for me was the fact that some of Elegy’s traits seemed inconsistent. What she would or wouldn’t know, what she would or wouldn’t do, all of it seemed somewhat inconsistent. It was hard to get a very firm grasp on what her speaking pattern was like, because it did sort of vary at different parts of the book. While there weren’t ever egregiously out of character moments, it at time felt like she wasn’t totally nailed down in her identity. My main qualm with the book was that all of the lore and backstory for the occult happenings, the “promise,” and the other magical elements seemed slapped on the last few chapters. Unlike other elements of the book, the back story didn’t have much foreshadowing or very many elements that were woven into the plot earlier. The presence of characters that would come to be of great importance wouldn’t even be mentioned more than in a single passing earlier in the story until the last 20%. It just felt as if the story was so fleshed out except for connecting some points together.
I think for fans of gothic-influenced romances and spooky but not terrifying haunted houses, this would be a great read. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the descriptions of all of the different ghosts (and there are plenty.) 4/5 stars!