Weavingshaw was my final book of 2025 and it was so good that it pulled me out of a two month long reading slump. It has made its way into my top books of 2025 list and my top books of all time list. I cannot wait to read book 2!

This book was the perfect blend of mystery, gothic atmosphere, and romance. The romance was truly the slow-burn that I have been searching for, with lots of yearning and character growth. Rather than taking centre stage, the romance was more of a sub-plot, allowing the mystery and fantasy elements of the story to be well fleshed out.

The plot was compelling throughout. I enjoyed the slower pace as it meant that I was able to be fully immersed in the story. This was also helped by the atmospheric setting that was perfect for a Gothic fantasy. What a fantastic read!

Weavingshaw is a wonderfully dark and atmospheric book that swept me up straight away. Leena’s ability to see the dead gives the whole story a steady sense of dread, and the way she carries this secret made me feel completely invested in her choices. When she bargains with the Saint of Silence to save her brother, the tension steps up beautifully. I loved the eerie pull between them, filled with distrust, risk and very quiet longing that grows with every page.

The Saint himself is one of the most compelling parts of the story. He has that cool sharp quality that makes you want to look twice at everything he says, and the way his layers are revealed piece by piece is very satisfying. Watching him and Leena slowly shift from enemies to something more felt like the best kind of slow burn.

The setting of Weavingshaw is incredible. The moors feel alive, the house feels hungry, and the entire place has the sort of creeping atmosphere that settles under your skin. The story builds slowly but with real purpose. It lets you sit with the secrets, the ghosts and the tension until everything starts to unravel.

There are twists I guessed and twists that caught me by surprise, but the emotional pull and the gothic mood kept me hooked throughout. It is immersive, haunting and full of yearning. I was completely consumed by it from start to finish.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This is how you do gothic fantasy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for a review.

I absolutely loved it - this is not your typical modern fantasy book, so beware of that. This is a carefully woven story, with gothic touches and a book that needs to be read slowly. It is not action packed, yet things are constantly happening. The beauty is in the details, in the descriptions of the situations, feelings and places.

The relationships between the characters are complex, takes time to understand where their feelings are coming from, the things they notice, the situations they're exposed to.

The ghost's stories were incredibly interesting, and the concept of the demons and the power of secrets very original as well.

The romance is a subplot and it's subtle, which is not easily done these days and the author absolutely nailed it!

Of course, it ends in a cliffhanger so we need part 2 YESTERDAY!

Honestly, one of the best books I have read in the past few years!

The gothic romantasy mystery horror novel I needed! Yes, it blends all those genres together beautifully and I was fully immersed in the story. I didn’t know it was going to be a trilogy before I started the book but I’m so glad that it is because I need more, much more, especially after that ending!

We follow Leena Al-Sayer, a young woman who can see ghosts, as she seeks The Saint, a mysterious man who buys secrets. Leena offers him her secret in exchange for medicine for her sick brother. The Saint declares Leena too valuable to let go and writes up a contract in exchange for the medicine - she must find him a particular ghost.

Enter the slow burn romance! This is true slow burn and it’s one of my favourite romance tropes. I don’t think they really truly kiss in this first book and I’m okay with that! Slow burn should be slooooow! The majority of the romance in this book is built on gaining trust and the truth about each other and getting closer as each element is revealed.

The story is slow paced but it works very well and is intentional. I didn’t feel rushed and, even though I read the book over two days, it felt very dream-like and perfectly paced with excellent writing.

I loved Leena and her strong will and her loyalty to her roots (there are important and timely messages about immigration and feeling homeless throughout the book, as well as classism and racism). I liked that she didn’t immediately fall for The Saint and that she kept her wits about her throughout the book.

Bram St Silas, The Saint, was a really interesting character who seems quite deplorable at the beginning but, as his story is revealed, he is more understandable and is a perfectly flawed, morally grey MMC.

I can’t wait to read the next book/s! Definitely a favourite book of the year! I expect it will stay on my top books of 2026 list for the year!

4.5 stars

Weavingshaw follows Leena, a young woman who can see the dead. In a world where such an ability would see her locked away, Leena has learned to make herself invisible. But when her brother Rami falls gravely ill and the cure proves impossibly expensive, she is forced to seek help from the Saint of Silence, a feared figure who trades coins for confessions and values the darkest secrets most of all.

This debut is beautifully gothic and captivating. The atmosphere is rich and oppressive in the best way, and the locations (from the corrupt city streets to the windswept moors and Weavingshaw itself) are wonderfully evocative. The pacing is deliberately slow, allowing the tension to build gradually and the romance is a real slow burn.

I loved how integral Leena's ability felt to the story and how layered her character was. The Saint of Silence is great example of morally grey and the dynamic between him and Leena is emotionally charged. The themes of class, immigration, and resistance are woven thoughtfully into the narrative, giving the story real weight. The ending opens up new questions and I am very much looking forward to the sequel!

Dark, immersive, and emotionally resonant, Weavingshaw lingered with me long after I finished it. A striking start to a trilogy, and one that feels confident, ambitious, and beautifully realised.

A recommended read for fans of One Dark Window, The Lady in Black, and gothic fantasy romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.