After her grandmother’s passing, Maven Blackthorn and her 9-year-old daughter go home to Solstice, Vermont. But when her grandmother’s body disappeared, Maven finds herself caught in a gothic nightmare. The Blackthorns suspect the Crofts, titans in the pharmaceutical industry. When Maven confronts Ronan Croft, the only man she ever loved and now despises, passions arise, and old family secrets claw their way to the surface.
From page one, Blackthorn drips with gothic horror and suspense. Geissinger describes a world that reminds me of Roger Corman’s adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe with passion that rivals that of Nina and Dracula. But Blackthon is more than just gothic visuals and steamy love affairs. It’s a story about the dangers of digging up family history that uncovers secrets that lead Maven down a road of madness. There are times when she can’t determine what is real and what is a hallucination. She loses track of time, and it seems the only person who can help her is Ronan Croft, the man she despises more than anything.
Ronan and May feel so realistic, and their enemies-to-lovers arc was organically paced, really well. Sometimes this type of trope resolves a little too quickly. In Blackthorn, it was much more believable and could be expanded upon with a sequel. Lending to the realism is the banter between May and Ronan. They’re both grumpy, sassy, and quick with a comeback. This made for hilarious dialogue. I will say, however, that sometimes it got a little frustrating. I couldn’t help thinking, “If y’all would just stop bickering, you could start solving this mystery.”
The mystery is what kept me turning the pages. There were complex subplots happening, and they all mingled with each other without becoming confusing. It was entertaining, suspenseful, and kept me guessing until the end. The final plot was something I didn’t see coming, but afterward, I started remembering hints sprinkled here and there. The conclusion was satisfying and left me feeling pretty good, but I would love to get a sequel.
If Blackthorn was getting released before October, I’d say it’s the perfect gothic romance story for spooky season. However, since it’s getting a November 4th release, it should still be on your list of Fall books to read. I’ve only read two other books by Geissinger and with Blackthorn under my belt, it’s easy to say she has become an autobuy author for me.