Episode Forty Four
A crumbling manor, a lost past, and a love that refuses to stay buried—this one had us arguing, laughing, and rethinking what makes a gothic romance actually work. We dive into The Cruel Dark’s 1928 setting, the eerie allure of overgrown gardens and empty halls, and a professor whose grief and magnetism complicate everything. Along the way, we unpack whether the story leans supernatural or psychological, how poison lore (hello, datura) shapes both plot and metaphor, and why some twists satisfy while others feel like the floor just vanished under your feet.
We split on pacing and predictability, which made for a lively roundtable. Some of us wanted more breadcrumb trails toward the culprit; others loved being blindsided. We talk craft—how to seed a reveal without yelling it—and romance—how amnesia flips power dynamics and turns a brooding guardian into a man learning to love a partner who’s no longer the same. The companion novella gets a shout for deepening character stakes without breaking the original book’s perspective.
If you’re into modern gothic romance with clear trigger cues and strong vibes, we’ve got you covered with read‑alikes: Jane Eyre, Crimson Peak, Mexican Gothic, What Moves the Dead, and more. We also preview Romanticy Con, the authors on our must‑meet list, and the nerdy gear hacks we’re packing to survive long signing lines with style. Press play for atmosphere, argument, and a pile of recommendations that’ll keep your TBR haunted in the best way.
The Cruel Dark by Bea Nothwick
Goodreads | Amazon
Our Thoughts
Our Thoughts on the book.
“I like the book. I didn’t think it was I didn’t feel too predictable. I I didn’t see that one big plot twist that happened.”
“I thought the story started out real well. And then as it progressed, I started to kind of like piece some stuff together in my head.”
“A high four. I enjoyed it. It was it was it was good for this time of year. It was had some of that dark twistedness where you don’t know is it magical, is it haunted, what’s going on here? yeah, I enjoyed it.”
“It wasn’t for me. I felt this was more like trying to be a suspense book. Like the author set out to the author set out to write a book that had parallels to Crimson Peaks or something similar, but just couldn’t bring it together.”