dead Poets sorority was not exactly what i was expecting but i did enjoy the story it could have used a little more plot for me personally but the character development was good it could have been a bit more developed. thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Read for an unserious spooky read where the plot follows a group of sorority girls who use magic to bring their boyfriends to life.. enter paranormal romance. It’s cute it’s funny I enjoyed it!

I saw somebody recommending for fans of the book “Bunny” and I’d second that.

Please don’t go in expecting anything deep or serious, this book is unapologetically what it is and I enjoyed it for that.

If you like banter between love interests this book definitely offers plenty of that! There is a lot of chaos and weirdness at all times and that works for what it is (remember my previous note about expectations guys).

I’d recommend for a fun light read during spooky season 🧜🏼‍♀️

👻 Dark Academia
👻 Spooky season read
👻 Paranormal Romance
👻 Ghost boyfriend
👻 Dark humour
👻 Sorority sisters
👻 Gothic


Thank you to Avon publishing for the #netgalley #gifted copy!

Publishes: September 25th

3.5/5 stars

Unfortunately this one was not for me! I had a hard time meshing with the writing and getting into the first act (likely a me problem, because I’ve had a lot of stuff going on lately). However, if the description sounds like something you might enjoy, definitely give it a try!

I really wanted to love this book, and there were certainly elements that stood out—especially the relationship between the Emma and Nate. Their dynamic felt real and well-developed, and I found myself rooting for them as the story unfolded.

However, I did struggle with the overall plot. Some parts felt a bit disjointed or underexplained, which made it hard to stay fully invested. I often found myself questioning how certain events connected or what purpose certain scenes served. This made the pacing feel uneven at times.

Another challenge for me was that, apart from the central duo, the rest of the characters didn’t seem to have strong or memorable storylines. I would have loved to see more depth or purpose given to the supporting cast, as they sometimes felt more like background than part of the narrative.

That said, I know every reader brings their own perspective, and others might connect with the story differently. There’s definitely talent in the writing, and I’d be open to reading more from this author in the future.

This was a ton of fun with a mysterious vibe throughout the book. I really enjoyed the concept of a journalist going undercover to do an expose and then getting sucked in to the world they’re reporting on. There were a few characters that even after finishing the book, I don’t have a full idea of who they are and what their motivations were mostly Kimberly, Erin, and Emma‘s best friend. I loved the relationship that developed between Emma and Nate, especially the suspense that was built around Nate’s safety in regards to the sorority and him being a ghost. There were times I questioned every person‘s motives and while I figured out what the ending was probably going to be, it happened in a way I didn’t expect. The epilogue left me with so many questions and it was interesting that it was in a different character’s point of view.

This book was cute. Nathaniel seems adorable. Interesting ending, though. Wasn’t expecting that.
I would love to see more from this author.

Being a dark gothic romance novel, it will be the perfect autumn read. I flew through this book. I was hooked from the very first page and I kept reading until the end. The story was easy to follow, had a great cast of characters and good pacing. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.

What a fantastic four-star read, this could have been a five-star read, but I feel like I’m still wondering so, so much, as I have so many unanswered questions. There were so many storylines that just didn’t need to be there and left me with more questions, but I enjoyed the overall story. Emma and Nate did make me smile, even though you know that she isn’t taking care of herself, its still sweet, it doesn’t make sense until you read it.

I absolutely TRIED to complete the book with a different overall feeling of it than I had throughout; but I just couldn't.
I love the idea of where the story line was going, a sorority, a scandal and raising ghosts but I found it very difficult to get through and understand areas of the story. Typically when I'm reading, I can imagine the book playing like a film in my head, the writing style of this author was too choppy and didn't flow as I'd have liked it to.
The characters were OK. I think Nathaniel was the better of the MC's. I found Emma to be too whiny but I also didn't like how she treated Nate. She kept saying "dead poet" or "dead this", "dead that" - like, why? It felt like she was berating him for being dead. There were also several repetitions which weren't required. His purple eyes with golden halo's do not need to be described when Emma looks into them every time. I did enjoy the witty banter that Emma came with though.
The book definitely has a young audience in mind as its a slow-burn romantasy.
Definitely a spooky-season vibe as its set in Gothic architecture with gargoyles and a graveyard.
Without some work being done on the writing style, I don't think I'd read another of the author's books again but I am hugely grateful for the opportunity to do so.

I wasn’t sure on this book at first but was intrigued so requested the arc

Definitely a book suitable for spooky season.

I wasn’t sure about the plot when I read the premise but it was actually really fun to read and a brilliant take on a different kind of romance read

This book wasn’t for me but I was so grateful to have the opportunity to read and get to know the characters within but unfortunately I couldn’t connect with them I would love to be able to read more from this author

This was really fun! As I read in another review, it's very similar to Bunny by Mona Awad, which is true. I really liked the humor in this book, as well.

I just didn't enjoy this book at all and stumbled throughout with the writing style. I suppose it didn't really help when I had to look up the meaning of sorority! It wasn't the only word I struggled with being written in American English whereas I am English. Quite Gothic and aimed at a younger reader than myself I think. I didn't take to the female character, Emma, but did enjoy the quirkiness of Nathaniel who reminded me of the ghost poet character in the British sitcom Ghosts. Quite lighthearted and many funny, somewhat ridiculous moments.

My husband tells me that I am stubborn; I prefer to use the term dedicated. I sooo wanted to enjoy this book more than I did, and early on found it to be a bit of a chore to get into the story and flow with the author’s writing style, as well as the setting. But I was DEDICATED. It was a bit of a strange premise, and one that I thought was unique enough that this could easily become be one of my favourites, and as a lover of gothic literature, I was hanging in there for this one to be good. There were times when I couldn’t quite follow the storyline, and the insta-love between the MMC and FMC was a bit…strange, but still, we continued. There were times when I wanted the story to be more than it was, but other moments that just hooked me in completely and made me forget that I had real-world obligations.
It’s a great quirky take on the genre that overall, I did enjoy and would consider reading more from this author.
Thank you to Sofia Shelley, Avon Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Entertaining and light, undercover at the sorority to uncover what they are up to, or what they are trying to rise up. A bit different and definitely fast moving.

🖤 dark academia | paranormal romance | gothic vibes | dark humor | steamy ghost boyfriend 👻🔥

Okay, so… this book? Wild in concept, fun in execution, but not without a few bumps along the way.

Emma is a witty and determined student journalist who goes undercover in a spooky secret sorority, only to accidentally summon a very charming dead poet named Nathaniel. He’s old school romantic, a little lost, and definitely a scene stealer. I loved their chemistry! The banter is on point and the spicy moments were surprisingly bold for a ghost story. 👀🌶️

Emma herself was a pretty good character. Funny, curious, and relatable, though sometimes her narration leaned a little too quirky. Nathaniel is total book boyfriend material, if you’re into tortured 19th century poets (and honestly, who isn’t?). That said, I wish we got more emotional depth from him. He felt a bit one note at times, and in some ways, this affected how I felt about him and Emma together because of that.

The plot is off the wall bonkers, which was kind of the appeal. But it leaned into chaos a little too hard, and I found myself wanting a bit more structure, especially in the third act. The worldbuilding is fun (ghost cats! cursed sororities! haunted frat energy!) but not super fleshed out. And while I appreciated the dark humor, it sometimes undercut the more serious or romantic beats. I think my biggest issue is that I left with more questions than answers and that is not why I read for fun.

💀 3/5 stars for entertainment and a bit of lack of execution
🖤 Perfect for spooky season, but not if you want something deeply grounded
👻 Best if you enjoy quirky chaos, soft ghosts, and dark academia with a wink
🪦 Could’ve used more emotional depth, but I still enjoyed reading it

Dead Poets Sorority is a wacky, whimsical, ghostly romance romp. It’s not perfect, but it is weirdly delightful, and I’ll definitely be picking up whatever Sofia Shelley writes next. 🖤

Adored this book! Cosy, gothic and a ton of fun! The characters were great, I hope we get more in this universe, I think these are perfect for an autumn/spooky season read!

This was fun and easy to read. I liked our heroine Emma, she was easy to connect with and I found her charming and funny, while the dead hero Nathaniel was sweet. But I found I wasn’t overly engaged with the story, I wasn’t particularly attached to the characters despite liking them on a generic level. It was a fun book to pass the time but I won’t really remember if after a few days.

A fun, gothic, romantic read, Emma and Nathaniel are great characters, I hope there’s more in this universe.. Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The premise was cute, and I wanted to like this book more than I did. I had too many questions during the read. Some readers may like that, but I read for quick & easy entertainment, not to find deeper meaning. I kept thinking something random was "a clue" that would help me understand something later but then it didn't seem to lead anywhere. What's up with the cold drafts that aren't the MMC? What really are the stones? Does Kimberly really have magic? Does Emma really have magic? What's up with Minnie? What's up with the epilogue that doesn't seem to match the tone of the rest of the story - this is how Vivian ends up "saving our asses" and "taking care of that threat"? Emma seems to be clueless about Vivian's methods of helping, so why would she expect her friend to take care of things? I understand why Erin wants Emma to write the story, but they seem like actual friends, so why wouldn't she just communicate better. Did she think Emma could manifest something for real & if so, why would she put her friendship on the line like that? It just didn't seem to match her personality.

The Emma & Nate romance was sweet. I don't like how she ditched her schoolwork (that didn't seem like her character), her cherished reporter gig (I get she couldn't finish the story, but to go silent is totally different) & her seemingly only friend (who is trying to reach out & feed her at least) due to the sorority...and mainly Nate time. I understand that college is a time for young love & lots of caffeine, but dang. You are a human.

I think the whole ex-boyfriend storyline could have been scrapped. It seemed like it was going to lead to a big reveal & it was a huge disaster first love story, but I never really got to the meat as to why he was soooo bad/a "catastrophic dating attempt" & "nasty history" & not just a stereotypical college drunk frat guy.

I realize that maybe because it's a UK publisher that some things might hit differently overseas, but I don't understand the obsession/multiple references of Dewar drinkware & the desk cactus. Thank you for the ARC opportunity, NetGalley & the publisher.