Content levels
Trigger warnings
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
*Spirits are drawn to salt, be it blood or tears.* Roos Beckman has a spirit companion only she can see. Ruth―strange, corpse-like, and dead for centuries―is the light of Roos' life. That is, until the wealthy young widow Agnes Knoop visits one of Roos' backroom seances, and the two strike up a connection. Soon, Roos is whisked away to the crumbling estate Agnes inherited upon the death of her husband, where an ill woman haunts the halls, strange smells drift through the air at night, and mysterious stone statues reside in the family chapel. Something dreadful festers in the manor, but still, the attraction between Roos and Agnes is undeniable. Then, someone is murdered. Poor, alone, and with a history of 'hysterics', Roos is the obvious culprit. With her sanity and innocence in question, she'll have to prove who―or what―is at fault or lose everything she holds dear.
My Darling Dreadful Thing: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This dark Gothic horror-fantasy contains murder, supernatural body horror, themes of mental illness and persecution, sapphic romance with moderate intimacy, and an atmosphere of psychological dread throughout.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, moderate sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include gore, murder, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adults who love atmospheric Gothic mysteries with queer romance and creepy supernatural elements will be drawn into this haunting tale.