Thank you so much, Ina… for the hole in my chest while I wait for the next book in the series to come out.

Descriptors/Tropes:
Paranormal Mystery
LGBTQ+ Representation
Slow Burn Romance
Witches, Magic, Death
Coming of Age
Vulnerable FMC
Supportive, will call out your BS Bestie

I am a scaredy cat when it comes to anything that could potentially have horror in it. Glad to report I was not scared completely, and was so thoroughly into this book that I could not put it down.

Rose breathed life into my soul because her reactions felt authentic. If I were in her shoes, as much as I would want to be this badass FMC off the get, I would probably be in a bathroom screaming my head off if my dead roommate manifested. She spent her life with the shit end of a stick, repressing herself and her powers to try and be normal.

In comes Val, who, for the first time in Rose’s life, feels like someone believes her. Val is a sour patch kid, he does/says something completely dickish then he’s sweet. Tattooed, Broody, Chain pants, rides a motorcycle, but not invincible.. Oh, did I mention he has a hero complex? The perfect MMC to complement our FMC.

Now, my favorite character, Dawn. I will protect her with my life, if anyone hurts her…. I swear…. She is the epitome of someone who accepts you for who you are and will tell you how it is. She brings so much humor to the story, and watching her interact with Val & Rose is iconic. I want more banter, more of her story, and everything just her. This book has LGBTQ+ representation, which made my heart soar.

Usually, when reading a mystery, I can figure out who the culprit is quickly, but I could not with this book. It felt like I was doing quadratic equations in my head. While figuring out what happened to Eleanor is the main mystery, we see other potential stories being unlocked, and what mysteries lie with them?? I honestly cannot wait to see the direction Ina goes with this series.

Ina & Netgalley- Thank you so much for the ARC copy!

Haunted. Heart-wrenching. Hot damn.

Let’s get real: Death Becomes Her didn’t just grip me—it shoved the supernatural under my skin and refused to let go. I started reading and suddenly every other book in the world felt like filler.

If you’re into paranormal fantasy stitched with mystery, emotional stakes, and just enough romantic tension to keep the pages turning—you’ve found your match. Rose Walker’s journey is beautifully broken, haunting, and unapologetically human.

⚠️ Trigger Warnings
- Ghosts & death
- Grief, guilt, trauma
- Suspicious roommate demise
- Magic and academic eeriness
- Slow-burn romance
- Mental and emotional distress

🌀 Synopsis
Rose Walker has always seen dead people. She’s desperate to escape—so she leaps across the pond to Banecroft University in England. It’s a fairy-tale escape… until her roommate Eleanor dies under mysterious circumstances. Now Rose is literally haunted, stuck with missing memories and a ghost that might be out for justice.

She reluctantly teams up with Dawn—a clever, guarded friend—and Val, a dangerously charming Mage Seeker who upends everything Rose thought she knew about her powers…and herself. When more students get attacked, it becomes crystal clear: Eleanor was only the beginning.

This is dark academia meets ghost-story mystery, layered with first-love whispers and a heroine worth rooting for.

📝 Favourite Quote
“Was it my fault, again?”
That line stopped me cold. It speaks volumes—guilt, fear, doubt—without shouting. It’s a question Rose carries like a knot in her chest, and it stuck.

🔍 What to Expect
- A haunting paranormal mystery
- Deep grief and complicated guilt
- Clever magic in a gothic school setting
- An emotional slow-burn romance
- Friends who feel more real than most
- Twists you won’t see coming
-A heroine grappling with trauma—and choosing to fight

💭 Final Thoughts
Death Becomes Her crystalizes everything I adore in dark fantasy: a heroine who’s fragile and fierce, a story that creeps rather than slashes, and an emotional core that hits just right. Rose isn’t flawless—she’s feeling her way forward. And that makes her compelling as hell.

Dawn stole my heart—sharp, supportive, secretly hacking her own mystery. Val’s arrogance was offset by depth I didn’t expect. Together, they carried Rose through hallways of death, memory gaps, and growing power.

I couldn’t stop turning pages. The tension, the stakes, the raw emotional beats—they were perfectly crafted. Rose’s question—“Was it my fault, again?”—isn’t just a line. It’s the pulse of the plot.

And yes, I’ll be here for every subsequent book. Rose isn’t done growing. Neither am I in my excitement to see what happens next.

🔮 What’s Next from Ina Harrington
This is the first installment in the Death’s Legacy series. With the emotional and magical ground laid here, I can’t wait to see Rose evolve—and the secrets Banecroft reveal.

⭐ Final Rating
★★★★★ (5/5)
Would hand over my soul and borrow someone else’s to binge book two.

📢 Call to Action
If you’re craving a ghost story with guts, grief-soaked emotions, and a heroine learning to wield her pain as power—Death Becomes Her is your jam.

Netgalley Arc Read
Rose Walker has always been able to see the dead.
Determined to leave that part of her life behind, she accepts a scholarship to Banecroft University in England, far from her small, judgmental Colorado town. No one there knows about her gift—or the past she’s desperate to forget.

But when Rose’s roommate, Eleanor, dies under mysterious circumstances, her new beginning shatters. Haunted by Eleanor’s ghost and missing memories from the night of her death, Rose doesn’t know if her friend’s spirit seeks answers—or revenge.

I had a lot of fun with this book! I didn’t know what to expect going into the book, but I was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I did find the first half of the book kind of slow, but once I hit the 50% mark, it was like a rollercoaster of a story. I’m interested to see where this series goes. A couple of the chapters had me like "whoaaa” because I wasn’t expecting them.
I felt bad for Rose, trying to run from her past in a new city/school where nobody knows her except for her twin, and all it does is bite her in the arse. Though, she seems to be able to surround herself with a few people who have her best interests in mind. I found myself flip flopping between loving and disliking the characters. Ina did a great job at making me second guess Val’s intentions with Rose. I found myself doubting him just like Rose was as I was reading. I love Dawn, I think she’s someone that everyone needs in their life. A person who’s 100% in your corner no matter what. I’m hopeful to see further character growth as the series goes on.
I wish the book went further into the magic system. I kept hoping it would get further in depth as it went along, that maybe Val would give further details or more would be explained but it didn’t. I’m hopeful that as the series goes forward we learn more about how everything works and we see how Rose grows into herself as she learns.

Rose Walker has always been able to see the dead.

Determined to leave that part of her life behind, she leaves her small Colorado town. She accepts a scholarship to Banecroft University in England, where no one there knows about her ability.

But when Rose’s roommate, Eleanor, dies under mysterious circumstances, her hopes of leaving her past behind are broken, crushed, stomped on. Haunted by Eleanor’s ghost and missing memories from the night of her roommate's death, Rose doesn’t know if her friend’s spirit seeks answers—or revenge, and let me tell you, neither do we. She’s not at all friendly, but neither would I be if I were murdered.

Desperate for the truth, Rose teams up with her new friend, Dawn, and a dangerously sexy and charming Mage Seeker, Val, who forces her to question everything she thought she knew about her abilities, despite not knowing very much. But when another student is attacked, it’s clear that her roommate’s death is just the beginning, and time is short.

I get absolutely giddy over a paranormal mystery, especially when it comes to paranormal themes in general, but a paranormal mystery? Count me in. Therefore, I was confident I would thoroughly enjoy this story, and I did. It's the perfect package of self-discovery, first love, and magic!

First of all, I had beef with Rose at the beginning. She doesn’t like being called a witch, and I understand her perspective, but what I would do to be a present-day witch and be called a witch is a dream. Poor Rose, she came to England to escape her past, she was thrown through the wringer, and she wasn’t even my favourite character. The guilt weighed heavily on my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed her character, and with this being the first of a series, she was written in a way that she has room for development, and I’m going to be here for her all the way. She’s going to have her moment of badassery, and I cannot wait. The character that holds my heart was Dawn, Val was high up there too, but Dawn. Girl, she crushed it with the vibes. A girl’s girl. You know there’s more to her, and you’re just waiting for it, and then the emotions. They hit hard. She was a great character. Would love it if she were my friend. I could go on about the characters, because they each had something to love, but you’ll have to see for yourself!

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. It was spot on with the mystery; I didn’t know what to expect, and even as the story progressed, I was completely immersed, struggling to put it down. It just kept getting more and more chilling, and even a little grotesque with a hint of naive, first love. The first love was spot on; it was cute without trying to be cute. We’ve all been in this girl's position with the first love, you know, so completely relatable. What wasn’t relatable, though, was Rose’s battles with the dead. Give the girl a break. Luckily, she had Val there for some guidance; he was a typical prick, though, but a caring one. Their dynamic was enjoyable! The way they journeyed through this outrageous situation was quite inspiring. Once I got to the end, you would have had to pull the book out of my cold, dead hands to get it away from me. I couldn’t stop reading.

I’m so glad this is the first novel in the Death’s Legacy series; it would be impossible to end there. Rose needs her moment of badassery, she had a bit of one, but this girl is a strong woman; she will be delivering more, and I can’t wait.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have felt all the things while reading Death Becomes Her. Most of all, I feel that this is a story that needs to be talked about.

This story covers urban fantasy and paranormal murder mystery. Read the blurb for full details, but Rose is a college student with witchy powers. After her roommate dies, she begins to experience hauntings that become increasingly dangerous. For everyone’s safety, Rose needs to figure out what happened to her roommate in order to bring peace to the dead.

My hot-take is that ghost stories are hard to write well. Without just the right flair, they can either be cliché, or turn into a Scooby Doo mystery. Ina nailed it. Seriously. This book is scary…and you are immersed so wonderfully that it is not campy or silly.

Can we talk about the romance subplot? It is more of a side quest, and it is the slowest of slow burns. And yet…what a gift to read Rose and Val’s story. I so appreciate that the romance element does not distract from the horror of the story. More like the sprinkles on top of the donut, the story would have been fine without it, but look at the added beauty.

Every girl needs a best friend - and Dawn is a TREASURE. Seriously. Ina writes secondary characters that add layers of depth to the story without becoming too much. Dawn is vibrant, special, and hilarious, adding lighter notes to an often dark story.

It’s one thing to be able to emulate real-world experience through writing and another to make real the unreal. To die, to be haunted, to experience the paranormal. All of these sensations are brought to life, giving me chills goosebumps along the way. Thank you, Ina, for writing such a wonderful story. I can’t wait for my paperback in August!

This book this book was bluntly refreshing I have so many emojis in my head for this lol it was juicy I live every single page

Thank you to NetGalley and Harrington Publishing for a complimentary early release copy of Death Becomes Her by Ina Harrington.

I didn’t really know what to expect going into Death Becomes Her, the premise sounded interesting but what mainly drew me in is the absolutely stunning book cover! I was also intrigued because it’s a mystery & thriller with fantasy elements and I just haven’t read many mystery fantasy novels. Death Becomes Her does not disappoint! I enjoyed all of our characters, I liked Rose and her brother Tyler, they made a good pair as an opposites attract kind of thing. I liked that they had positive relationship, I do however hope that we get more of Tyler in the next books. He seems like an interesting character, I liked how he stood up for Rose and was protective of her but I felt that we could have gotten just a bit more background with him. (I would love a perspective from Tyler!).

Val and Rose are a good pairing, I was a bit iffy about Val when things were first introduced but as the story goes on he really did grow on me! The broody mysterious personality of Val and the anxious & clueless personality of Rose worked well together. Both of them have some funny and cute scenes that made me smile, I definitely ship them together! The romance between them is teased a bit in this book but this series is definitely going to be a slow, slow kind of burn. The teasing tension between them is there though so it’s definitely worth it! I did find it just a bit repetitive that Val was so dodgy about things but I’m eager to learn more about him in future books.

The dynamic between Rose, Val, and Dawn is nice! I liked their whole group dynamic but I really hope Dawn is more included in the story in the next book. I loved her character but I would have loved to see her be a bit more involved with things.

The plot was intriguing, I found the mystery and fantasy elements to be interesting. I really liked Rose’s abilities and found them unique. This book was a page turner and it goes by rather quickly, there are so many things I found enjoyable about thing book. The characters, romance, friendships, abilities, and much more. While I did enjoy the story overall I think some of the fantasy elements with the mage seekers, veil, and the ending went a bit over my head. I still have some questions and stuff I feel a bit clueless about but I still had a pleasant reading experience with Death Becomes her. I would definitely be interested to see what the next installments would include, I need more of Val and Rose immediately! As a side note, The authors note and you matter message are so sweet. I really recommend reading them! This book touches on topics of bullying, grief, mental health, and self harm. Please read with caution if you are sensitive to those topics!

Review: Death Becomes Her by Ina Harrington

This story pulled me in with its eerie atmosphere, layered mystery, and complex, quietly powerful main character. Rose’s ability to see the dead is both a curse and a key, and her struggle to escape her past while unraveling her roommate’s death felt raw and real.

The dark university setting, ghostly tension, and hints of ancient magic made the world feel lived-in and unsettling in the best way. I really loved the slow-burn dynamic between Rose and Val—it added just enough tension without distracting from the emotional weight of the story.

A haunting, emotionally charged paranormal mystery with found family, dark secrets, and a heroine you can’t help but root for. I’m already looking forward to book two.

I related to this book so much, as someone who struggled with bullying and low self-esteem. This book tackles these topics in a supernatural murder mystery style that feels unique. The book follows Rose as she is in the middle of a murder mystery, when her roommate is drowned at a party. A party Rose doesn't remember attending.

The author does a great job keeping the reader in the dark about the paranormal and giving clues little by little as the story goes on and the Rose (MC) explores her potential and reflects on what she is capable of, you start to wonder if you should cheer her on or be afraid for her.

Death Becomes her is a great book and the plot and the romance makes you keep coming back for more. Something I did not realize is that this is more of a horror/scary book. It is not my typical read, however, I still greatly enjoyed reading Val and Roses' romance story. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Val, Rose and Dawn. Overall, I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend reading it. I will be counting the days until the next book comes out!

I absolutely loved this book. Kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat, adored the characters and the depth of the story and writing style. I am so keen for more in this series and wish the next one was out already as I’m already having withdrawals!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ina Harrington for providing an E-arc. I'm leaving an honest review.
Death becomes her follows an interesting premise: a girl able to see ghosts trying to solve the death of her roommate and gain back her memories of that night.
What follows is an enthralling read that manages to be both really fun and deeply unsettling and horrifying.
The characters were really fun to read and get to know. I could relate to the main character Rose and her shyness, having been bullied for who she is and just recently coming out of a really strict religious environment. I loved Dawn and her optimism, her teasing and her friendship with Rose. And I also loved Val, he was such a lovable and at the same time exasperating man.

I will say I expected more romance than there actually was, but I didn't feel like it was needed either. Keep it in mind though, if you're looking for a romance.

The horror scenes were really well-written and atmospheric. And the magic system was cool, though I'd really have loved to see more of it. I felt like I didn't learn enough about it in some ways.

The ending is really satisfying, but I'd love to see a follow-up novel written someday, where I could hopefully learn more about mages, seekers and the other altered in this universe.

A satisfying mild supernatural Dark Academia novel starring Rose, a young woman who has always dead people. She hopes for a new start far away from her Colorado home at an exclusive university in England. But when her roommate dies under unusual circumstances and other paranormal begin happening, that dream shatters. Is Eleanor haunting her? What does the mysterious and handsome Val want with her? She will need all the help she can get to solve this mystery and survive her first few months at her new school.

Overall, a good read. The Dark Academia vibes are there but not too dark, too scary, or too sexual. If you like the tv show Supernatural, that is the kind of level of thrills and chills, maybe even a little lighter. There is the beginning of a romance, but the focus is more on the supernatural mystery, Rose finding out there is much more in the world than she ever dreamt of in her philosophy, and her friendship with Dawn. This is LGBTQ friendly.

I wish there was a bit more about the magic system and the framework of the organization of mage seekers and mages. Maybe that will be filled in with books later in the series. It ends with a lead in to more books.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The cover of this book is so breathtaking. The attention to color and the movement is just so good. I love a protag that can see the dead and all of the twisty adventures that that can lead to.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Ina Harrington for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Ina, I am so impressed that English is your second language, your writing in this novel was fantastic.
I did enjoy this book. It was quite a mixed bag - A YA paranormal mystery in a fantasy academia setting. I'm actually going to rate this one 3.5 stars, with definite potential for a further book to exceed that rating.

The spookier aspects of the novel were fantastic and suspenseful. Any time a ghost was involved, I was completely engaged with the story and would not put the book down. The descriptions really did stir up my imagination, especially since we were often shown different glimpses of the ghosts here and there, rather than a complete image every time. This added to the creep factor.
I wonder about the book's potential, whether the author had come at this from more of a horror/mystery angle without the additional fantasy elements.

Bonus points for LGBTQIA+ supporting character being introduced, would like to see more of her in the next book. And additional points for the shy and awkward main character/bad boy pairing that stirred up some romantic undertones to the story. Their interactions were annoying initially, but ended up being really cute.

Unfortunately, I do not think there was enough of an explanation about the different kinds of magic users early enough in the novel for the story to make sense. Especially in a YA novel, I think it's important to ensure the characters and their motivations are easy enough to understand. The investigation process would have made more sense if these magic types were introduced and explained, rather than introducing individual characters as 'X type of magic user' with no further description given until later on.

I would certainly read the second book when that comes out - I had a few unanswered questions at the end. I do think there will be readers who struggle with this one.

I am a sucker for a "dark" university setting! Add a paranormal mystery plot on top of that, and it's instantly on my TBR!

I enjoyed the fact that the romance was not the main focus and was more of a subplot, leaving space for the mystery to be the central focus of the story. I also appreciated that it wasn't insta-love and was a true slow burn.

I did feel like it was a little slow to get in to in the beginning. Once you get a few chapters in though, the story really begins to pick up and you start flying through the chapters. While each genre does operate on a spectrum, and this book is YA, I did feel like it leaned really really YA in some of the writing and plot points. So just something to be aware of. However, I didn't feel like that took away any of the enjoyment for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and will be continuing with the series as the books come out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harrington Publishing for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I love fantasy novels, good mysteries, and well-written horror stories that immerse me in the environment. Death Becomes Her is an excellent mixture of all three.

Rose Walker has powers that haunt her (literally) and that she does not understand. When another mysterious death occurs around her, questions arise about her power, and she is introduced to the world of mages, seekers, and cursed. Rose, a powerful mage, is “paired” with hot, bad boy, mage seeker Val, and they work together to try to figure out what is behind the mysterious happenings on campus.

Rose, Val, and Tyler (Rose's twin brother) are all incredibly annoying as characters, but in the best way. They all just feel like real people. In many fantasy novels, especially those that deal with teenagers and young adults, have characters that feel like they are reduced only to their powers or abilities. This is not what happens here. They are complex, multi-faceted, and with detailed backstories. While there is more I wish had been explored, such as Rose's relation with her family's community and where the scholarships come from, I am sure the sequel will solve my questions. Dawn (the best friend) is just an absolute sweetheart and a great balance from all of the supernatural stuff going on.

The mystery kept me enraptured, and I could not put the book down until I had answers. I unfortunately could not solve it by myself, but I am giving myself a point for predicting what was the piece of evidence that broke the case wide open. But even more than the mystery aspect, what stood out to me the most was the incredible writing in the horror scenes. They felt extremely vivid; I was almost expecting to find a ghost hand coming out from under my bed. It is also interesting, but it felt like the scenes were writing as if for a movie (I'm not entirely sure this makes sense). I could feel the scene cuts and how the editing would work, and it made everything feel even more realistic for me.

The summary said this book would be recommended for fans of Supernatural, and I can definitely vouch for it. It feels like one of the episodes in which the boys find a monster, but it isn't the one actually responsible for the murders, so they all team up to catch the actual bad guys. Some parts of it also made me think of the game Phasmophobia, with the different lore bit about the types of ghosts. The scenes involving Rose's encounters with the ghosts reminded me of the Intertwined series, one of my favorites (although very unhinged) from my teen years. Caleb and Julian would fit right in the Death Becomes Her universe.

I can't wait to see what happens next in the series and what Ina Harrington has in store for us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ina Harrington for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.

This was one of those reads where I picked it up for the haunted college vibes and stayed for the twisty mystery and unexpectedly emotional character arcs.

Death Becomes Her starts with Rose. quiet, guarded, and just trying to outrun her past and the ghosts (literal ones) that come with it. What’s meant to be a fresh start at Banecroft University quickly turns into something darker, with a dead roommate, missing memories, and a growing sense that someone or something is watching. It’s got all the ingredients of a classic campus horror: strange occurrences, secretive magical societies, cryptic professors, and just enough dread to keep the pages turning.

I appreciated that this book leaned more into mystery and atmosphere than romance. There’s definitely chemistry (hi, Val), but it’s more of a slow simmer beneath the surface, which honestly worked for me. I also loved Dawn, who brings the perfect balance of humor and curiosity to an otherwise pretty tense story. The ghost scenes were creepy in the right ways: subtle, eerie, and just unnerving enough to keep me double-checking my shadows.

That said, I did wish the magical system had a bit more depth. There are hints of something much bigger going on especially with Rose’s abilities, but it felt like we were only scratching the surface. Then again, this is book one in a series, so I’m hoping the next installment expands on all the cool threads that were introduced.

If you’re into paranormal mysteries with a YA/new adult crossover feel, morally gray characters, and just enough darkness to keep things interesting, this is a solid start to what could be a really fun series. Definitely picking up book two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harrington Publishing for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I want to preface this review with the reminder that I usually would not reach for a YA book but I still enjoyed it nonetheless!

This book follows our girl Rose whose first year at university is anything but boring. Within her first week there she deals with the unexpected loss of her roommate and the mystery that surrounds it. Rose is anything but normal and the gifts she was once bullied for as a child aid her in unraveling this mystery.

*spoiler warning*
I absolutely loved the characters in this book, I think they were so well written. Dawn is so adorable and I absolutely loved Val. The author did a very good job at writing Rose to be sheltered, but she was so sweet and I felt so bad for her. The descriptions of the ghosts in this story were horrifying and I honestly felt like I was watching a movie while reading this book! It was very easy to get lost in the pages.

The only thing that is holding this back from being a 5 star review is the magic system and how little is explained. I understand the set up for the second book/ continuation of the series but I would have liked to know more about Rose’s powers and Val’s place in all of this. The ending was very ominous and I am a bit disappointed to not see Rose and Val become a couple.

Overall this was a great read and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next one!

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was well paced and the characters were well written. I look forward to reading more from this author.

TLDR: An engaging indie novel about a young woman with supernatural powers trying to find out who killed her roommate. First in a series.

Rose has always been able to see ghosts. As a child, the ability alienated her from her family and community. Now Rose has the opportunity for a fresh start as she and her twin brother begin attending an elite university in the UK. But when Rose’s roommate Eleanor dies under strange circumstances, Rose is haunted by Eleanor’s ghost. Can Rose, aided by a mage seeker moonlighting as a security guard, find Eleanor’s killer and assuage her ghost?

At the surface level, it’s a fast-paced, dark academia-tinged story about fish-out-of-water Rose solving a mystery with a handsome male antagonist at her side. Fun, but there’s more depth here. First, there’s some real creepiness– especially with imagery– that might please YA horror fans. The side characters, especially Dawn, are fleshed out and loveable. The mystery is surprisingly well-executed and rather brilliantly handles the question of, if the detective can see the ghost, why can’t she easily solve the murder? There’s a lot going on already, but the book also tackles themes of bullying and mental health.

I’m genuinely impressed, especially for a self-published YA novel without the resources of a publishing house. The writing style and plot are well-suited for a YA audience but quite enjoyable for this adult reader. While there are some hints at romance (that might be expanded in future volumes?), the majority of the relationships explored here are between friends and siblings, and they’re very thoughtfully done.

It’s the first in a series, so it’s not a surprise that a lot of threads are left dangling, but we do get resolution for the main plot. I’d love to read future volumes.

I'll admit that it took me a while to get into this one. I normally don't read YA books, as I want my FMC and MMC to be a bit older, but this book wasn't too bad. I wasn't expecting to feel satisfied with the ending to this book, but here we are.

I do believe this book had a satisfying ending, though I would have hoped for more books in this universe. I believe there are unresolved items in the book that could be solved with a follow-up novel, but that's just me.

I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that there was almost no romance in this book at all. I normally read books with a lot of romance and smut, but this book didn't need any of that. It was just fine the way it was, which isn't something I'd normally say either.

I'm fine with how things ended with this novel, and don't believe there needs to be a direct sequel, though I wouldn't be surprised if we did end up getting a follow-up novel, all the same. I wouldn't mind a follow-up and would read it if one shows up.

The writing style is also blessedly simplistic, which is the obvious way to go if you're writing a YA book. Again, this is not a genre I'd normally go for but I love the eerie atmosphere of the book. I also don't normally go for books set in school settings but I enjoyed this book, strangely enough.

I'd recommend this book if you don't mind the lack of romance and smut. There is one scene where the FMC and MMC are discussing a pornographic scene that she was sent by the ghost but that's the extent of the sexual content unless you include the teasing the FMC gets for being a virgin.

For fans of dark academia and Ninth House - this one is it. Dark academia done so well. I loved, loved, loved it🥰

Rose and her twin brother score a full-ride scholarship to an elite school in the UK. Rose is a talented artist with an amazing swimmer roommate, but she’s also sweet, naive, and very innocent. So why can’t she remember what happened at last night’s party? And more importantly, what did happen?

This book had me glued from page one. It’s got those rich dark academia vibes mixed with horror and urban fantasy, and the pacing is perfect. If you liked Ninth House, you’ll eat this up.

The characters were fantastic, and the lore was even better! And I’m obsessed that the MMC is Bulgarian 🥰 The tension between the characters is electric, I loved their banter. Watching Rose grow through everything made me love her even more. I’m going to need book two immediately🤩

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!