This book hooked me in and didn't let me go long after I finished reading it. What an ending! Ok, no spoilers. Don't all horror-type books have surprise endings? Right? Anyway, I enjoyed this rollercoaster of grief and redemption set in a haunted English mansion far away from the nearest village. Give me all the cozy horror tropes! While this wasn't a cozy book by any means, it was just as fun to read as one. I don't really go for horror as a rule, but I felt that the character studies were so strong that I was able to handle the blood and gory bits. I'd definitely recommend it!

Grief and heartbreak. Those are the two main themes of this book, and damn if they don't deliver.
The characters draw you in at once, and they didn't even have the decency to let go at the last page, because I'm still thinking about that ending. Holy fucking shit. Thank you for that.

It's a gothic horror that manages to deliver on the horror (or I'm just a scaredy cat that has to wake up the labrador and turn on the lights), and manages to weave in some more laughter and light-hearted moments throughout it all, while still ramping up the tension with the supernatural, while still delivering something believable.

I did see the ending coming, but the author managed to very masterfully distract me until the very end, where my suspicions were confirmed, to which I tip my hat because my excitement for the book could have ended right there, but it didn't and turned page after page.

The characters and their flaws also made them very human and real, so much so that I'm not sure everyone will even like the mc (I for sure didn't until about halfway through the book because his emotional contradictory upheave gave me whiplash), but I was still so engaged with everything that it didn't matter.

I enjoyed the heck out of this book, and it'll leave me with a bruised heart.

I love nothing more than a haunted house book, and The Haunting of William Thorn caught my eye immediately. While this book definitely has some weaknesses, it's a really good read and I and tore through it in late-night reading sessions (a bad idea, given the number of genuinely scary moments).

This book is (sort of) told in a dual timeline format - we have our main story in the present and a series of journal entries set in the past. I really enjoyed this format, which allowed for the secrets of the past to be revealed slowly and effectively. And the horror bits? Oh my goodness. I imagine the author drew a lot of inspiration from The Haunting of Hill House (the TV show rather than the book). There are a lot of scenes that seem to be homages to the show, and he does a great job of delivering tension and scares through the haunting. I read quite a lot of this book late at night and I found myself jumping at shadows.

I do think that there are a few places this book didn't quite work as well as it could have. I think the author tried to do too much - there were so many storylines and they got a bit tangled at times. Ina few instances, the impact of individual storylines were dampened as they were set aside for a long period of time in favour of another plot line. I wonder if cutting one storyline was cut, it would have made the overall book flow a little better.

I really enjoyed William's character, even through he made me want to hit my head against a wall from time to time. He's complicated and traumatised and trying to hold it all together. He's frustrating, but understandably so - who among us would handle living in a haunted house, especially with all of his trauma? I did find his dialogue with Edward to be a little clunky and their chemistry just didn't quite get there for me, but I really loved William on his own, especially the way his story arc plays out by the end of the book.

The Haunting of William Thorn is a genuinely scary new horror book with a dash of romance. If you are looking for book steeped in family history and secrets, I'd recommend you check it out when it releases in September.

3.5 out of 5 stars

I found this book quite entertaining, definitely there were moments when I laughed, moments I felt excited with the eeriness and the story, and where I felt curious and sad.

I quite liked the mixed of the different POVs between the present and the past. Specially how they interacted and evolved simultaneously for us, the reader.

The chemistry between the both main characters in the present was great. I specifically liked how Edward respected grief and William's boundaries - even when William didn't recognise them.

About the different plot twists, even though I predicted most of them, Ben did a great job distracting me and making me believe that I was wrong (until I wasn't 😅)

On the other hand, while I found quite interesting all the secrets that Hanbury had, at times I felt that the timing wasn't the best. Robert's and Teddy's story took an abrupt pause for the Archie storyline, and final section with Robert's dad secret felt too rushed in comparison with the rest. This rush at the end and the way is was handled felt anticlimax, specially after we know that Edward was attacked and, him and William are being haunted.

The banter between Edward and William was super fun. Cheeky, sometimes a bit cringe, always sweet. But I did question sometimes the flow of the interactions. Not so much the back and forth other people mentioned - I found them very character fit - but how their communication types engaged. For example in the morning after Edward's care, during breakfast, it was like two simultaneous monologues.

(Probably) A small detailed but something that I must highlight. Robert's drawer had to be quite big, and wouldn't be possible for Edward to shake it to hear the contents. And William holding it with just one arm isn't realistic considering the chest dimensions and the context of what it had, where/how it was found.

I will definitely keep an eye on Ben's future books

If you want to feel all the feelings, this book is it! I cried, laughed, got spooked and the most important thing, I had a lot of fun reading it. This author really knows how to write.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

First off, I want to thank Ben Alderson and Angry Robot Publishing for the chance to review this book. I had read previous titles from this author and thoroughly enjoyed them so I was thrilled to receive this opportunity.

The Haunting of William Thorne is an instant favorite for me and I believe it will be for many others upon its release as well. I read this book in one day because I just couldn’t put it down. The characters and setting are well rounded and draw you in from page one, and that fact doesn’t change until the very end. The twists and reveals had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. There were genuinely terrifying moments, lighthearted laughs, and emotional scenes that made me tear up.

I loved every second of this book and will be purchasing it as soon as it’s released in its final form. Fantastic read!

thank you netgalley for the arc!

i reaaaally liked this book. and i’m still so unsure about that ending (but it’s definitely a me thing)! i did see the ending coming, but the author did an amazing job distracting me and making me think i was (maybe) wrong up until the very end! the only reason why i am unsure about how to feel is because i do want everyone to be happy by the end of the novel, but that’s really on me.

i loved the atmosphere of this book, i think it hit all the right marks, and loved that it balances the real and the supernatural so well. i do hate when a book promises creepy and supernatural and ends up not delivering, so i loved that this did both, it remained supernatural but also gave an answer based on reality to the past mystery, which i think will please everyone.

i did find the main character’s denial a bit too prolonged (but really only slightly) and loved the reveals and how they were paced into the book, so it didn’t feel overwhelming. overall, i really enjoyed this book i think it was creepy when it needed to, it had banter, it had mysteries, it had reveals, and it was gay, so no notes!

Oh lord. This was an EXPERIENCE.
I finished reading this in 1 day, once I got a few chapters in I could not put it down! I needed answers to everything.
The storyline is very gripping. We get dual timelines (sort of) with the past being told through journal entries. which give some context on the past and the events that led to the house being haunted.
Straight from the first chapter, the haunting atmosphere and creepy setting is well-established. Descriptions of the house and the weird shit happening actually got to me enough that I had to put on my lamp while I was reading (which was in a dark basement in the dead of the night).
The story follows William, whose fiancé died immediately after he was caught cheating, and who left said house to William in his will.
Throughout the book, we see as William and Edward (who he meets and ends up reluctantly trusting) try to solve the mystery of what happened in the house in the past, as some of the deaths that happened in the house may not have been what history told. As we can all probably guess, weird shit starts happening pretty quickly.
Suspense is built very well through the book, with the mystery unfolding slowly. The pacing was pretty good, though a couple times I did find myself rushing through a bit (but this is just as I was that desperate for answers).
Both past and present timelines had really emotional, character driven stories. For the past, I would have liked more journal entries, and this would have made me a bit more invested in that story (we don't see much of the love story) but what was there was still effective at making me very emotional.
In the present. we get to see much more of the characters. William is much more developed than Edward, and I felt like I really got to know him and how he thought. He wasn't always likeable, but there were good reasons for his closed off nature and the way he reacted (in my opinion, foolishly) to certain situations. Edward came off as very shady, but I mostly liked him the further into the book I got. The way some of the storylines tied together had me suspending disbelief a bit, but the conclusion to the major point of conflict concerning William and Edward's relationship to each other was well done. The drama level was very high, which made for a very emotional story.
My one gripe with the book would be the conclusion of the past 'mystery.' There was a plotline that was added that felt a bit underdeveloped, as it was big information that kind of felt shoved in at the end and not addressed fully. The final 'fight' was also a bit underwhelming (maybe as I didn't expect a physical fight seeing as they were investigating a haunting).
The ending of this book halted me in my tracks so fast I think I got whiplash. I genuinely didn't see the last big reveal coming and I was instantly floored. I hope the author knows that he caused me emotional distress, and he will have me thinking of this book often for ages to come.
Regardless of my emotional distress, I genuinely did enjoy this book tremendously and I am excited to look into what else the author has written.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the DRC!

This book has been described as How to Sell a Haunted House meets The Haunting of Hill House and that would be a fairly apt description. I'd also thrown in the Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor as a flavor as well. Overall, I enjoyed the premise of this book as well as the characters and the mystery set up of who or perhaps what is haunting William Thorn who inherits a massive estate after the untimely death of his boyfriend. My biggest issue with this book was the pacing, particularly as we got to the latter half of the book that started to answer some vital questions. There were times when the conversations between characters felt overly extended and delayed big reveals for dramatic purposes but this ended up frustrating me more than keeping me on the edge of my seat. However, when all is said and done, I commend this book for staying very true to itself and its themes of love and tragedy.

Thank you to Angry Robot for giving me access to this eARC on NetGalley!

In this book we follow William Thorn who inherited a manor from his ex after his death. But the manor is not as it seems and neither is any of the people connected to it. He will need the help of Edward, a man with his own motives, to find what they all have been looking for.

This was a conflicting book for me. Some parts were a bit meh/cringe while some parts got me shivering cause I got a bit scared? And then I did almost cry a bit? Hitting all the emotions.

One thing that irked me so much was how William likes to contradict everything he says or asks Edward to do. “Leave. No stay.” “Don’t call me Will. Call me Will.” “No way we’re using the ouija board in my house, throw it out! Okay let’s use it.” IT’S ANNOYING AF.

He’s constantly shifting his emotions and lashes out in anger all the time. It’s a valid response to his trauma but if it had been 1 year since the passing of his ex he should’ve seen a therapist by now (in my opinion). At the same time I understand and can acknowledge that it’s not that simple but he is making me annoyed. (I just got to the part where he actually HAD seen a therapist but apparently that wasn’t enough)

I’m also not a fan in the insta love we get when the story is only happening for a week. Of course you can feel lust and you can like someone but nothing that warrants the ending.

I was going to rate this book a 2/5 until that ending came. It was beautifully written and I had almost forgotten about THAT thing happening. Some books do that “thing” but kinda reverses it in some ways and goes back. Here it didn’t happen and I honestly really enjoyed it, make it more real and dark. Me like.

Also really enjoyed the dark atmosphere and wondering what was going to happen, cause some of it was easy to figure out (like the ex thing IYKYK) but other things came completely out of the blue. It’s honestly refreshing in this day and age.

Happy that this was a standalone. Even though the world could be more explored we need more books that are just standalone. Some stories don’t need 5 books and this one gave us a start and a hauntingly beautiful end.

Run, don't walk to get this. I cannot wait to get a copy for my shelf. I have a feeling this could be in my top five for the year. It is an atmospheric gothic tale, that was full of angst and passion. I will be checking out more from this author. Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read.
5 star

A split timeline queer romance set against the backdrop of a haunted manor, horrifying and grotesque spirits and a mystery that spans generations. An evocative tale of exploring grief, trauma and the bones of the past. A gothic story for the ages.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧

✨Expected publication September 9, 2025.✨ Omg that cover looks so pretty!! 😍😍

The Haunting of William Thorn was an intense (almost... melodramatic?) haunted-mansion story centered around two queer MCs. It has a very mystical, creepy, small-town vibe that I like. There aren't a lot of characters to learn and keep track of.

The middle part dragged a little bit though, and ngl William Thorn (the man, the myth, the legend!!) got a bit on my nerves. 💀 Despite a lot of sexual tension and a few steamy scenes, this is not a romantic story.

But I was exhilarated to have finished it though, the end came with a few plot twists that I didn't see coming.

Bottom line - this is a great book that's worth pushing through to the end.

Thank you for the author and publisher for allowing me an e-ARC via NetGalley! That has not influenced this review and all opinions are my own.

I just finished this book and wow…I finished reading this in 24 hours because I physically could not put it down.

This book made me feel so many different emotions in a short space of time! The horror aspect of this book was done in such a great way; I’m never usually scared by books but this one had me jumping at every noise that was made in my house. There’s parts of the novel that tore my heart out of my chest, stamped on it, then put it back in again, and I just felt raw emotion.

Queer books are so important to me and the way that queer relationships were portrayed in this book was just so heartwarming. Part of the book was about MM relationships, but it wasn’t those that solely made up the book. There was a good balance of relationship development and plot, and one of the best things this novel does is explore human feelings and emotions. There’s also some history about queer relationships in time, and it’s very clear that the author researched these things before adding them to the book. I wanted to cry, scream, shout and run away in the *best* way.

The character development was consistently great. William, the main character, is such a complex character throughout the book and the exploration of his thoughts and feelings are done in a great way. He battles a lot of guilt and feelings of being unworthy which I think every person can relate to. We see the growth in his character from the beginning of the novel to the end, and it’s done in such a way that it doesn’t feel forced and it feels natural.

Overall this may be the best queer horror psychological thriller novel I’ve ever read, and I just know this book is going to be stuck in my head. I’m also going to be looking at other books by this author as I think their writing is fantastic!

Rating: 5/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

"I think it’s healthy to rely on another person for help. It’s okay if you do need saving; that doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.”

Well that was a rollercoaster.
Also this story had so many great quotes.
The story itself was addictive I couldn't put it down.
I really enjoyed finding out what happened to Teddy and Robert while watching Will learn to trust Edward.

I was gifted this Arc from Netalley for an honest review. And honestly this has been one of my favourite reads this year. One I won't forget for a while.

The promise of horror and gothic elements initially drew me into The Haunting of William Thorn. Not to mention, I'm a sucker for an eerie English manor setting, the cover art is stunning, and I was ready for some ghosties. Sign me up, pack my bags, and let's get haunted!

This book is excellent when it comes to the alternating viewpoints. Not only are we in 2024 following our main character, William, but we're also exploring Robert and Teddy's story in 1939 via journal entries. ((I LOVE a good journal entry tie-in, so I was very here for this.)) The way the timelines blend is done well and adds positively to the atmosphere of this book.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere is where this book was a bit of a miss for me. I had high hopes ((remember: gothic English manor)) and the reality felt very lackluster. I was looking for ominous, eerie, and unsettling. I was anticipating foreboding. I was expecting to feel a sense of growing dread. None of that really happened. The characters felt it, but there was a disconnect for me between what they were describing and my experience as a reader. Instead, this story felt like it could come attached to any setting at all and would maintain the same vibe- and it could just be me, but it felt very much like a missed opportunity.

What worked well in this book is the character development and the depiction of grief on different levels. A good haunting story is an excellent vehicle for tearing grief down to its core, and Alderson did it in such a heartbreakingly beautiful way. Guilt and grief are so often different sides of the same coin, and Alderson flipped it expertly throughout this book. Our characters feel very genuine and not trope-heavy, which is something that I don't always find to be true in the horror genre.

And that leads me into my next point, so let's talk genre. I'm seeing this book labeled as horror, but it doesn't really read that way. I'd say this book is better classified as mystery with horror/supernatural elements to it. Knowing that ahead of time would have caused me to go into this book with more accurate expectations, so please keep that in mind.

Overall, I will absolutely be recommending this book. ((Not to the slow-burn haters, though... this one isn't for you guys.)) The Haunting of William Thorn is for those looking for supernatural mysteries with queer representation, those who like the last 100ish pages to pack the biggest punch, and those who love their dual timelines. If that's you, make sure this is on your TBR ASAP!!

((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, Angry Robot, & Ben Alderson for this complimentary copy.))

[6⭐️][ARC]

"If loving you is worthy of hell, I go there gladly, knowing it accepts us together."

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC!

This story is about a man named William who has inherited a manor a year after his Fiancé passed away. This manor was supposed to be their home, their future. When William moves to this small town he's told about how scary and haunted the house is, but William ever the sceptic did not care. But then he starts to hear noises. When another man comes and introduces himself as Edward the gardener. William tells him to go away. But a nasty storm comes and William allows Edward to stay for a day or two until the storm passes.
William finds a journal, a journal that belongs to a man named Ronald dating back to 1939. As the story goes on we learn about the past of the manor, and also more about the characters William and Edward. Learning the truth from the lies because... no one is ever telling the full truth, right?
So usually I have way better review ideas when writing them... but I can't think of any other words beyond perfect for this book. The story, the characters, the secrets, the plot, EVERYTHING was amazing. I shed so many tears reading this book. Teddy and Robert have my whole heart. Edward and Will as well. I fell in love with their love. Although this is not a romance book it didn't stop me from SWOONING and screaming at these idiots to just kiss already!! All in all this is definitely one of the best books I've read I a LONG time. I'm so glad I was able to find this book. My brain chemistry has changed. I will be thinking about these characters every day for the next couple weeks. Preorderd the book already and I cannot WAIT to display it

5 ⭐ the tears on my face have finally dried, so I think it is safe now to write this review. All I can say is 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. It was exceptionally gothic and atmospheric, and absolutely terrifying at times. As soon as it got dark outside, I had to turn all of the lights on so I could continue reading. It had absolutely everything I wanted in a gothic horror; creepy, haunted English manors, buried secrets, plot twists and discoveries, and the trauma of the past coming back with a vengeance.

A year after the tragic and unexpected death of his fiancé, William Thorn inherits Hanbury Manor, along with all of its ghosts and secrets. In an attempt to escape his grief and determine how to move forward with his guilt and loss, William travels from London to his new manor home in the English countryside for a week to assess the state of the property. He has two paths ahead of him; sell the house that was in his fiancé's family for generations (yet, he never knew about it) or completely renovate it and build the home his fiancé always wanted for them. However, Hanbury Manor has a different plan for him. On his first morning after arriving, a stranger named Edward appears at his door, and this is the pivotal moment where our story truly begins. From here, we are lead on a terrifying journey as secrets are unburied and William and Edward attempt to put the haunting of Hanbury Manor to rest once and for all.

Emotionally, this book was heartbreaking on so many levels... devastating, heart wrenching, and overall just 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧. I just want to rage and scream and cry about all of the events of this book, because everything was just 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧. Needless to say, I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

A massive thank you to Angry Robot for this ARC!

I thought I knew what was happening. I was CONFIDENT about it. I was WRONG.

As a massive fan of The Haunting of Hill House, I couldn’t wait to read this. I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. This is my first time reading one of Ben Alderson’s books and what an incredible introduction it has been! William was a really intriguing main character, and though he certainly wasn’t a perfect person, I do think his actions were completely justified. I absolutely adored Edward, too, and loved uncovering his backstory.

The horror was genuinely so scary, and the author’s writing style made you feel like you were in the manor with William and Edward. So chilling!!! I couldn’t get enough of it.

This was such a beautiful, haunting story and I am so incredibly lucky to have received this ARC. This is right up there with one of my favourite reads of the year!

I love a devastating novel, and this certainly was one of them! William Thorn inherits a manor after his boyfriend dies, however, they manor is potentially haunted by spirits. Grief and guilt are two themes in this story, which is honestly why it was so devastating. This book made me actually cry, which is not typical of me, especially for a horror book. This book does have dual timelines, both with queer romance at the heart of them. I absolutely loved it, and now I am going to go sit and process.