⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – The Haunting of Emily Grace by Elena Taylor
A gothic escape, a grief-soaked heroine, and one cursed mansion just begging for therapy and sage.

Look, if I’ve learned anything from reading thrillers, it’s this: never trust a rich recluse with an island mansion and a mysteriously absent wife. But clearly Emily Grace didn’t get the memo. And honestly? I’m glad she didn’t—because this slow-burn, eerie little gem gave me everything I wanted in a gothic-tinged thriller with just a whiff of the supernatural.

Emily is raw. She’s grieving, lost, and one wrong look away from falling apart. So naturally, she accepts a job on a secluded island surrounded by angry sea and whispering woods, where the locals are practically throwing salt over their shoulders and yelling “cursed!” every time someone mentions the mansion. And what does Emily do? She packs her emotional baggage and heads there anyway. Respect.

Once she arrives, things start feeling... off. The wife of the eccentric millionaire who hired her? Vanished under some very eyebrow-raising circumstances. The mansion? Gorgeous but with major "murder might’ve happened here" energy. And then there’s the creepy forest, the footsteps when no one’s around, and the slow, unsettling realization that maybe grief isn’t the only thing haunting her.

What I loved most is that this book didn’t go full haunted-house chaos—it stayed grounded in that delicious “is it ghosts or is it trauma?” tension. Think Rebecca meets a Pinterest board for cursed coastal estates. It’s moody, atmospheric, and laced with this aching loneliness that makes you want to hand Emily a blanket, a hug, and possibly a taser.

The romance subplot? Surprisingly tender! There’s a man who appears out of nowhere offering companionship, and while part of me screamed stranger danger, the other part wanted to root for Emily finally getting a win. But let’s not lie—we were all here for the eerie vibes, and the book delivers. Shadowy presences, cursed whispers, and a setting that becomes a character all its own.

Minor nitpick? It’s a slow start, and there were moments where I wanted to shake Emily and yell “Girl, GET OFF THE ISLAND!” But it’s worth it. The suspense builds like a storm rolling in, and when it hits—yep, I was flipping pages and checking the shadows.

Creepy, tragic, and just a little romantic—The Haunting of Emily Grace is for fans of coastal gloom, gothic mysteries, and women who walk into cursed houses like it’s a Tuesday.

Would recommend. Just maybe don’t read it while you're alone in a creaky house. Or near the ocean. Or if you’ve recently lost a pet and are feeling emotionally fragile. 🖤

Thank you Netgalley, Severn House and the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much @severnhouseimprint @elenataylorauthor @netgalley for this ARC!

What could possibly go wrong in an unfinished (rumored to be cursed) mansion built into the stormy side of a cliff on an island only accessible by ferry or helicopter? This gripping story was leaden with the tension of grief and foreboding dread. But as the plot progressed, so did the FMC’s character. She started out consumed and haunted by her past. But her innate strength and resilience slowly fortified, driving the story forward to its twisty conclusion. Equal parts heartwarming, inspirational & suspenseful, this is easily 5 stars!

Wow! This was a page turner. I was unable to put it down. The characters are phenomenal and the entire book is very well written. So many twists and turns make this book impossible to figure out.

I absolutely loved this book. Emily Grace’s story pulled me in from the first page grief-stricken, isolated, and trying to rebuild her life on a windswept, eerie island filled with secrets. The atmosphere is haunting, the suspense slowly creeps in, and the emotional depth is just as gripping as the mystery. It gave me chills in the best way. A perfect blend of gothic vibes, subtle romance, and a twist of the supernatural. I couldn’t put it down.

THE HAUNTING OF EMILY GRACE is set on a tiny remote island off the Pacific coast, separated from the rest of a larger island by a bridge that is frequently impassable during high tide and heavy storms. Emily Grace is a carpenter who is hired to finish building a house after the last carpenter is injured.

The owner of this unfinished house is millionaire Cameron, whose wife, Katrina, disappeared seven months ago. There’s some mystery surrounding his wife’s disappearance, and rumors are the house is haunted.

The plot and scenery are richly detailed, making you feel you are right there on the island.

While the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, it was never lethargic. After the halfway mark, the plot was so compelling that I didn’t want to put this book down.

The title of this book is both metaphoric and literal. Emily Grace is haunted by her own personal trauma, as well as by strange happenings while working on this home. The setting was creepy and a bit unsettling, but in a very good way.

I ended up enjoying THE HAUNTING OF EMILY GRACE very much. I can’t wait to read what this author has in store for us next!

🌟Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.🌟

The Haunting of Emily Grace has everything I look for in a cozy thriller — a moody and dark atmosphere, mysterious and unsettling events, and warm and affable characters. I felt transported to the Pacific Northwest coast throughout this book and now desperately want to visit the areas around San Juan Island. Taylor’s architectural descriptions of a modern house on a cliffside were also detailed enough for my imagination to picture an amazing seaside house without being overly detailed.

I thoroughly enjoy books where I’m trying to guess the ending and this was a perfect book that kept me guessing until the last chapter. I wish the final chapters were a bit longer but altogether I appreciated that every thread was wrapped up by the end of the story. Would highly recommend to others, including anyone looking for a suspenseful book to read in the colder months.

Absolutely loved this book, a gripping thriller/ spooky book that kept me guessing until the very end. I would definitely read more books from this author

Emily Grace is given the opportunity to finish a custom home set on Monks Rock. Having over the edge, the house seems one with sea and sky, but locals think the area to be haunted and not to be built upon. The wealthy owner, Cameron, is still reeling from the disappearance of his wife, when Emily Grace arrives. With his estranged daughter arriving next day strange things start to happen and Emily wonders what she’s gotten herself involved with.

This book put me in mind of the gothic romances I used to read. A young woman takes a job in a creepy house on a remote island with a mysterious employer whose wife has disappeared. Great nostalgic fun

Awesome read. Had me guessing up until the end. I had to read it in one setting. I would definitely recommend this book and read another book from the author