Week 38 Review: The Cruel Dark

From Goodreads:

Millicent Foxboro is haunted.

Not by ghosts but by the anguish of her past and the uncertainty of her future. After all, even in the progressive year of 1928, most people would balk at hiring a woman who'd spent two months in a mental ward for traumatic amnesia. So when an uncommon assistantship to a reclusive Professor of mythology falls into her lap with an ungodly salary attached, her desperation for stability overrides her cautious nature.

To Millie's dismay, the widowed Professor Callum Hughes and his estate, Willowfield, are more than she bargained for. The once magnificent home, known for its sprawling gardens and dazzling parties, is falling to pieces after the death of the professor's fragile wife. What's more, the staff has been reduced to the only three people not frightened away by rumors of ghosts, leaving the halls empty and languishing in bitter memories.

The professor himself is a grim, intense man with unclear expectations, unpredictable moods, and hungry eyes that ignite Millie's own dormant passions. The closer she finds herself drawn to Professor Hughes and his strange world of flowers and folklore, the more the house closes in, threatening to reveal her secrets. But the professor is keeping secrets of his own and the most dangerous of all is hers to discover.

My Review:
I absolutely loved reading this book! The concept sounded really good, and the atmosphere was top notch, I just had to know what was going to happen next! Millie, having spent time in a mental institution, meaning she's not the most reliable of person you'd want working for her, well, this professor needs an assistant, and she came recommended.

The atmosphere in this book was just perfect. A house that is in disrepair, with only a few people around, a haunting, weird goings on, and an tense relationship with her boss, as well as the lingering questions about his late wife. It was really well done and I just had to keep reading! 

There is this attraction between Millie and the professor, but was hampered by things like the fact that he's her employer, and he's mourning his wife. But things that are forbidden are even more enticing, and are even better in hindsight when the truth came out.

At around the halfway to 2/3 mark, I was wondering if it was going to go in a Jane Eyre direction, or a Rebecca direction. And when the truth came out, that was a fantastic reveal, I wasn't expecting it to go there, and how it all came together was so good! 

This was a fantastic read and I would love to read more by Bea Northwick!

Author: Bea Northwick
Read: September 16th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, Historical Fiction 2024 Book and a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Northwick Books LLC
Published: April 22nd 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars