This is the second book I’ve read by this author and she is quickly becoming a must read for me! The Artist of Blackberry Grange is a gothic historical fiction mystery/thriller.
It’s the 1920’s and Sadie has made many choices in her life that has people turning up their noses especially her own family. The latest having an affair with a married man. Shes desperate to escape and start over fresh. So after hearing that her great aunt is unwell she picks a bag and heads to great-aunt Marg’s Blackberry Grange once-grand mansion sitting precariously atop an Arkansas bluff , to assist in caring for her as she becomes more and more ill with dementia. When she arrives Sadie once remembers, Marguerite as wonderful free spirited artist but now she’s a shell of her former self. As her aunt becomes more I’ll she paints hallucinatory portraits of old lovers—some cherished, some regretted, and some beastly. All of them haunting. Then her aunt warns her about the “beast” she sees in her house. Sadie does receive warnings from some people in the mansion, that it is dangerous and haunted by ghosts. Sadie finds a particular room that doesn't seem to have been opened in ages . She finds a painting. That painting will introduce her to Marguerite's early days of her youth. And in addition, it will find her in the presence of an enchanting man who holds many, many secrets. She travels back and forth in time by her aunts paintings as she uncovers a secret from her families past and a way to break the family curse.

I tried really hard to get into this book, but it wasn't for me. I love an atmospheric, gothic novel but I took several issues with this read, I found the plot hard to follow from the get-go- and this is not typically something I have trouble with, There were so many characters and references- if I put this book down and then picked it back up after a few days, I was lost. I also didn't really like the main character Sadie. The romance subplot felt a bit messy, and overall it wasn't a super memorable read. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mind space for it but I'm sure there are other readers who will enjoy this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this earc, I'm not publishing this review socially as I do not feel it is fair to post a negative review prior to pub date just because I personally did not connect with it.

Dark, creative, and mysterious!

The Artist of Blackberry Grange is an eerie, captivating tale that transports you to Arkansas during 1925 and into the lives of two main characters. Sadie Halloran, a young woman who, after the end of an engagement leaves her on the edge of destitution, decides to take on the role of caregiver for her failing, affluent great-aunt, and Marguerite, an elderly woman who, as she nears the end of her life has an abundance of long-buried secrets to share, including a strange and frightening teether to those in the afterlife.

The prose is tight and gritty. The characters are vulnerable, independent, and troubled. And the plot is a menacing tale about life, loss, tragedy, desperation, lies, manipulation, familial drama, secrets, supernatural phenomena, and love.

Overall, The Artist of Blackberry Grange is an intriguing, gothic, tense novel by Kennedy that does a wonderful job of interweaving historical times and compelling fiction into a suspenseful mystery that is deliciously atmospheric and highly entertaining.

I need large gothic estates, intense family drama, and paranormal experiences around every corner. The pages flipped through my fingers effortlessly. Paulette Kennedy has done it again; she had my attention by the first page, and I was enraptured until the end. This story is told mostly through Sadie, with small glimpses into other characters pasts. The premise is perfect, the setting spot on, the descriptions brough me right to Blackberry Grange. Not sure how long I would have lasted in Sadie's shoes.

Sadie has been left by her fiancé. He will no longer be paying her board, and he is staying with his wife. Sadie does not know where to turn or what to do. Her mother's death before this painful breakup was enough for anyone person. She discovers that her great-aunt Marguerite is in need of a caregiver. She has not visited Blackberry Grange since she was a child. Her memories are fond of both the estate and her aunt. Without a second though she hops a train and heads away from her troubles and into her new life. What she finds is her Aunt Marguerite is lucid and clearheaded at times and at other times they have trouble keeping her clothed and away from the cliff. Dementia is a cruel disease and Aunt Marguerite is right in the throes of it. Sadie has seen a man in her room who is writing, the grange has hidden rooms and towers, and the staff has witnessed activity that they themselves cannot explain. Aunt Marguerite's paintings are off a different world. Portraits that seem to move with you, glimmering, changing, with every look. What has Saide walked into?

This was a fantastic twist on a paranormal read. The slipping in and out of people's portraits. Sadie uncovers her family's past through people who have already passed. I loved that Kennedy brought in the character Deidre from Tin Mountain. It always brings a smile to my face when an author mentions a past character. Thank you to Paulette Kennedy, Lake Union, Amazon Publishing, and Over the River PR for my gifted copy of this atmospheric tale!

This passionate, slow-burn gothic mystery is by the same author of one of my favorite books ever, The Devil & Mrs. Davenport and she delivers yet again. This is a story of hope, lingering trauma and the power of revisiting the past. There’s a haunted house, angry ghosts, time travel and a uniquely developed dual timeline. Somehow, she was also able to squeeze in a romance that alleviated the heaviness of the story. This one was complex. It was deep. The trauma was palpable. The writing was exquisite. I loved the characters and the bonds that they built in the face of paralyzing fear. Sadie was deeply troubled but equally lovable and her relationship with Beck in the midst of evil warmed my heart.

4-4.5⭐️

Paulette Kennedy’s words become brush strokes of a layered, atmospheric novel that will steal your breath and leave you guessing until the very end.

When Sadie discovers the family mansion is haunted by not just ghosts, but by a family past she cannot fully comprehend, her mission to discover the truth is inhibited by the danger that surrounds her at every moment.

Highly recommended!

I finished this book in one sitting. I loved the magical realism and the strange events happening at Blackberry Grange. It had great gothic vibes and an eerie feeling. I loved Sadie’s involvement even though I thought she wasn’t making the best decisions at first. Marguerite was misunderstood at first and I felt bad for her circumstances. The representation of being a caretaker for a loved one was well done. The historical elements and family drama, I loved it all.

Thank you @pkennedywrites @amazonpublishing @otrpr for the gifted copy.

Thank you @otrpr @lakeunionauthors #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

This was a first for me by this author and I am happy to report I really liked this one. It ended up being much different than I expected but in such a great way! This book mixes mystery, historical fiction, gothic fiction and one of a kind art. I thought Paulette painted the most beautiful and interesting setting in the English countryside. Adelaide is a distant relative of the owner of the estate and she escapes to the country once she has a set of unfortunate events that happen to her. When she arrives she slowly becomes accustomed to her surroundings, characters and artwork. Let’s just say there is more than meets the eye. 👀 I absolutely adored the hidden history behind the art and of course the mystery behind the estate and its inhabitants. I think this book is perfect for anyone looking for an atmospheric and haunting story with complex family dynamics and a touch of magic!

This book was dazzling! I loved being sent back in time to an era when women had so many more challenges to overcome. The supernatural element made my skin tingle. It was spicier than I expected! But not gratuitously so.
The way the flashbacks were handled was skillful. I would definitely read more by this author!

Liked it . Due to health issues cannot not but will write a proper review at a later time
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I wish I could write a review that comes even close to capturing what The Artist of Blackberry Grange represents. It's a Gothic horror novel, yeah, but it's also a romance, and it's also a historical novel, and it's also a thriller. Its influences are many, but especially steeped in Gothic romances of the past, familiar to readers of the Brontës.

But it's also so much more than just a collection of tropes and roots. It's a book about growing old, it's a book about confronting the truth in complicated pasts, it's a book about love and loss and privilege and classism, a book about finding oneself and reflecting on our vulnerabilities and failings. Although packed with all kinds of strangeness (there's ghosts in here, time travel, hypnotic art, witches and flappers), it is profoundly interested in character, especially women who must deal with prejudices both interior and exterior.

There was no point in reading this one that I felt like the book wasn't trying something new or building nuance into its exploration of the main themes of the book. If it feels hard to boil down, it's because the book feels so committed to trying to unspool all of the tangled threads of a life lived as it just begins and as it ends. I could not stop reading it, and even when I had to for other interruptions, I couldn't wait to fall back into its spell. Coming out of the book was an emotional affair, and I don't think any Gothic novel has ever hooked me quite as easily as this one.

So it's a love letter to the Gothic, but it does so much more with its concepts and its pretenses than many novels like it, wholly committed to its conflicts and its characters and the human lesson at its core: that running from the past cannot resolve anything, and that our future is built on how we confront our selves present and past in making meaning of the world. The book is yet more than that, too, but to explore more would require greater length than a review and might spoil the experience of reading for oneself.

But this is easily a contender for a Top 10 of 2025, and maybe my favorite Gothic novel to date.

Paulette Kennedy is slowly becoming one of my favorite authors! I don't just read her books; I devour them in one sitting!

The Artist of Blackberry Grange is perfectly gothic, and I couldn't get enough of it! I'd love to spend some time in that house as long as Weston doesn't bother me. I love how the author mentioned Tin Mountain, a previous book of hers. I like when authors create a world without it being over the top.

I ordered a copy of Parting the Veil after finishing this one because it's the only one I haven't read yet. I can't wait to read more from the author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Paulette Kennedy, and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly!

This was a unique book that I enjoyed. Sadie, having just been tossed aside by her married fiancé, decides to go care for her great aunt who is an acclaimed artist suffering from dementia. This book touches on generational trauma, caring for loved ones, a bit romance, you’ll meet some ghosts of the past and watch characters evolve. I’d definitely recommend reading this book.

I loved this novel, it has elements for everyone ! The protagonist is independent, multi layered, and is well developed by the author . The book includes complex relationships, secrets, a relative with dementia, entanglements with ghosts, all set in the backdrop of the midwest in the 1920’s.This book had a great vibe that kept me reading way past my bedtime!

THE ARTIST OF BLACKBERRY GRANGE is gothic horror full of generational trauma and complicated families.

This is a tale about three generations of women, focusing mostly on the oldest and youngest generation. It's a tale about romantics, platonic, and familial love, how sisters can love and hate one another in equal measure. It is about loving the older members of one's family and the pain of watching them decline - while fiercely treasuring the time you have left with them.

It is a heart breaking portrayal of dementia and the decline that comes with it. There is so much grief and love bound up in the portrayal of Sadie and her great-aunt's relationship, the inability to remember who someone is at times, the periods of hallucinations. Some of the scenes brought me to tears, remembering similar events with my own grandfather. I loved that her great-aunt was shown to be so much more than her illness, a woman with a life - and secrets - of her own. Not only is that a true reflection of a person, but there is also a dignity in that, not reducing someone down to their illness.

The fleshing out of her great-aunt also came through the inclusion of the other timeline. While much of the book is set in the "present", told from Sadie's perspective, she also falls through time into her great-aunt's life through her paintings. These scenes are non-liner across the late 1870s and early 1880s, and told from a third-person perspective. They really bring the sisters to life, and the danger of Weston Clark.

This tale very much fits into that gothic sense of unease. This is a big, old house. Things move, there are tales of ghosts and chill presences. There is a painting that cannot be destroyed. It slowly builds up the atmosphere, doling out information about the past until the book reaches the point where neither the reader - nor Sadie - can back out.

In all, another brilliantly tense gothic from Paulette Kennedy.

Paulette Kennedy, the Author of “The Artist of Blackberry Grange” has written a powerful, edgy, chilling thriller. The varied Genres are: Occult, Horror, Women’s Historical Fiction, Gothic, Mystery, Paranormal, Suspense, and Ghost Stories. The timeline for this story is set in 1925. The setting is in a large mansion in Arkansas. Paulette Kennedy vividly describes eerie and frightening scenes and quirky, unbalanced, and dramatic characters. One of the female protagonists, Sadie Halloran becomes a companion for her elderly eccentric great-aunt Marguerite. She does receive warnings from some people in the mansion, that it is dangerous and haunted by ghosts. After some tragic upsets in her life, Sadie feels she has no choice, and she has to stay and help the elderly aunt.

Marguerite seems to be exhibiting signs of dementia, but is obsessed with painting. Sadie feels the paintings are communicating and speaking to her. Some characters from the paintings seem to be directly seeking Sadie out. Sadie senses that the “spirits” from the ghost-like characters are looking for something. Sadie also discovers that there were some unfortunate accidents before she arrived at the mansion. .How can Sadie stop the haunted danger that she senses is headed her way? It was difficult for me to put this book down. I highly recommend this intense novel with twists and turns, and secrets.

"Artists are here to disturb the peace." (James Baldwin)

And nothing disturbs life more than the one grasping the brush.

Paulette Kennedy creates a kettle of artistic fish here. Who exactly is gripping that easel of various colors and shades to portray what that life was in the past and what it will be in the present?

Sadie Halloran has reached bottom. She's sporting an engagement ring that has absolutely no value. Her fiance has dumped her and there's no light except from what shines from that unlucky ring. With no other options, Sadie decides to enlist herself as a live-in companion for her great aunt Marguerite in Arkansas. So Sadie packs up what little she has in Kansas City here in 1925 and invites herself when uninvited.

Marguerite suffers from dementia. As a result, she has good days and bad. She barely remembers her great niece who has wedged her way into her household. Marguerite was once a renowned artist. But those days are much into decay.......much like this mansion.

As the days pass, Sadie finds a particular room that doesn't seem to have been opened in eons. She finds a painting. That painting will introduce her to Marguerite's early days of her youth. And in addition, it will find her in the presence of an enchanting man who holds many, many secrets.

The Artist of Blackberry Grange is well told by Paulette Kennedy. I have not read her before. There's plenty of back and forth in time periods here that expand the storyline. The character of Sadie is more complex with droplets of Good Sadie and Not So Good Sadie. Kennedy takes us readers on a journey into the past where human nature and family issues lay down the bricks for the future and its relationships. An entertaining read.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Paulette Kennedy for the opportunity.

This isn't normally a title I would pick up (i.e., historical fiction), but I'm so glad I did! Great tale about making amends with your past set within a gothic backdrop.

Beautifully layered and compelling. Paulette Kennedy has a gift for blending traditional gothic tropes with vibrant characters and unique storylines. In THE ARTIST OF BLACKBERRY GRANGE, Kennedy’s writing shines as she explores the deeper complexities of time, relationships, and the choices people make in the name of love, both good and bad. I loved every gorgeous minute of this book.

You know I love a good gothic mystery - haunted mansions, eerie paintings, family secrets creeping out of the past. "The Artist of Blackberry Grange" gave me all that, but with a few bumps along the way.

Sadie, our main character, is in a rough spot. Her mother just died, her engagement is over, and she’s basically an outcast in 1920s society. So, off she goes to her great-aunt’s crumbling mansion in Arkansas, where things immediately get weird. Marguerite, her aunt, is losing herself to dementia, but her paintings? They have a life of their own. Literally. Sadie finds herself slipping through time, uncovering dark family secrets and, of course, getting tangled in a messy romance.

The atmosphere? Chef’s kiss. Dark, unsettling, and full of that slow-burning dread I crave in a gothic novel. But the romance felt a little...off. Rushed, maybe? And while the book played with some really interesting themes; family trauma, caregiving, how the past shapes us. I wanted to feel more inside the characters’ heads, especially with all the lies and manipulations flying around.

Still, it kept me turning pages. If you love gothic historical fiction with a supernatural twist, this one’s worth a read. Just be prepared to roll your eyes at Sadie once or twice.

Thank you Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for the digital copies to review

#TheArtistofBlackberryGrange #NetGalley.