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kjett1883's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Confinement, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Sexual violence
Minor: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Drug abuse, and Infertility
missamandamae's review
4.0
Oh my, what a story. Great horror read without being too gratuitous. The details start coming together, and you get a chill. I could barely put this book down! I normally don't go for horror stories, but the reviews I read were so good, and the premise so intriguing I had to give it a shot. It totally pulled me in and kept me reaching for it. The characters are varied and nuanced, and the creepiness builds in a magnificent way. Would definitely recommend!
jshep77's review
3.0
I got this book because I was looking for a hainted house book. It fell short on the haunted house aspect. The mystery wasn't bad but I felt it didnt really come full circle. And such an inadequate explanation of the accident that set off the events. And the closure of the story fell short as well.
abarnson's review
5.0
This was amazing book. I was lucky enough to win this book from goodreads.com and I dove right in. I loved the way it was written and it wasn't until the last minute that you find out 'who did it'. It took me by surprise. I don't want to spoil it for others. I highly recommend this book to others.
murrayviolet's review
4.0
Score: 3.75/5 round-up for 4/5
Rainey Bliss Adams had to move to the Bliss House located at the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her old house turned into ruin due to the gas explosion. Unfortunately, her husband died from that event and her daughter, Ariel, got injured and had scars on her body permanently. Ariel felt embarrassed by the scars and the way she walked with a cane, so she did not want to go outside or meet new people. After Rainey and Ariel moved into the Bliss House, Ariel’s injury was cured magically by itself. Meanwhile, the Bliss House slowly revealed its sinister.
I discovered this book from a website that I could not remember the name. I searched on Google about “good haunted house books” and that website popped up. I read the synopsis on Goodreads and it sounded super interesting. You probably know what happen next which is I bought the book. It took me 3 months to finish it and left me with just ok feeling.
My reading was super smooth, I am not gonna lie. However, there were not a lot of spirits. When I bought this book, I was expecting a lot of spirits or very haunting feelings, but none of those happened. The Bliss House was more like a mystery-heavy, and horror was a minority. I honestly felt betrayed by that website. Plus, Ariel's behaviour was the worst. I understand that she was mad at Rainey for exploding the house. Rainey apologized to Ariel so many times but that did not work, did it? Ariel still used that excuse to win the argument. I was like “oh please Ariel. Stop that nonsense.”
Nevertheless, I really like the brutality. There were sexual assaults, rape, kidnapping, and blood splattering. If you cannot deal with those things, then I will not recommend this book to you. There was more than one rape scene and each time it was more and more sadism. I loved the fact that the author was not holding back gore stuff.
The family was one of the big topics of this book. There were approximately 3 families; the first family was Rainy and Ariel, the second was the Bliss family and the third one was Gerard and his wife. Throughout the reading, I noticed the relationship within their family. I could feel their warmth and bonding even if one of their family members were horrible.
In the end, The Bliss House had some pros and cons. It was a smooth read but did not match the marketing. Thereby I was disappointed. If you like what I reviewed and want to give it a try, go for it. You might enjoy it more than I do.
Rainey Bliss Adams had to move to the Bliss House located at the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her old house turned into ruin due to the gas explosion. Unfortunately, her husband died from that event and her daughter, Ariel, got injured and had scars on her body permanently. Ariel felt embarrassed by the scars and the way she walked with a cane, so she did not want to go outside or meet new people. After Rainey and Ariel moved into the Bliss House, Ariel’s injury was cured magically by itself. Meanwhile, the Bliss House slowly revealed its sinister.
I discovered this book from a website that I could not remember the name. I searched on Google about “good haunted house books” and that website popped up. I read the synopsis on Goodreads and it sounded super interesting. You probably know what happen next which is I bought the book. It took me 3 months to finish it and left me with just ok feeling.
My reading was super smooth, I am not gonna lie. However, there were not a lot of spirits. When I bought this book, I was expecting a lot of spirits or very haunting feelings, but none of those happened. The Bliss House was more like a mystery-heavy, and horror was a minority. I honestly felt betrayed by that website. Plus, Ariel's behaviour was the worst. I understand that she was mad at Rainey for exploding the house. Rainey apologized to Ariel so many times but that did not work, did it? Ariel still used that excuse to win the argument. I was like “oh please Ariel. Stop that nonsense.”
Nevertheless, I really like the brutality. There were sexual assaults, rape, kidnapping, and blood splattering. If you cannot deal with those things, then I will not recommend this book to you. There was more than one rape scene and each time it was more and more sadism. I loved the fact that the author was not holding back gore stuff.
The family was one of the big topics of this book. There were approximately 3 families; the first family was Rainy and Ariel, the second was the Bliss family and the third one was Gerard and his wife. Throughout the reading, I noticed the relationship within their family. I could feel their warmth and bonding even if one of their family members were horrible.
In the end, The Bliss House had some pros and cons. It was a smooth read but did not match the marketing. Thereby I was disappointed. If you like what I reviewed and want to give it a try, go for it. You might enjoy it more than I do.
darcijo's review
3.0
I received this book as a giveaway on Goodreads. I was excited to read this story and really enjoyed it for the most part. I would probably give it a 3.5 stars if it was possible to give half stars. Goodreads should really get on that. I liked the characters and found them to be believable. I think the the only thing that disappointed me was that I was hoping for a bit more of a ghost story from the description. The rest might be considered spoilers, so you were warned. The book never really went into why Ariel felt better in the house. Was that because of spirits, Ariel, the house itself? Right now, I can't even remember if it says why the guys were so screwed up. Again was it because of the house or spirits? So there were a few unanswered questions that the book just didn't really cover. Even though Bliss House wasn't quite what I was expecting, I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
beckylej's review against another edition
5.0
It wasn't Rainey's fault that her husband died. The explosion that killed him and crippled her daughter was nothing more than a tragic accident. And yet, as time passes she finds that she can no longer face her old life. The desire to get away and make a future for her and her daughter drives her to Old Gate and the historic Bliss House. And though no Blisses have owned the house for quite some time, Rainey has come to bring it back to the family and restore it to its former glory. But Bliss House has secrets. Secrets that are begging to be revealed. Secrets that could potentially endanger Rainey and her daughter.
Laura Benedict has long been a favorite of mine and each new book she releases is immediately on my must have list. I was actually planning to read this one about a month ago - in time to cover it for its release - and things kept delaying me. As annoyed as that was making me, I have to say it was clearly fate's way of telling me to wait. The weather this week was perfect reading for a haunted house story - rare and noisy thunderstorms here in Colorado!
I do so enjoy a good haunted house story and Bliss House is a GOOD haunted house story. As the revelations of the house begin to unfold, it becomes clear to the reader that Benedict has so much more hidden up her sleeve. Even if I didn't know already that she's working on more Bliss House books, I'd have finished with a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't the last we'd see of the creepy abode.
Rainey and Ariel's story is ultimately one of a mother trying her best to care for her daughter. Rainey, an interior designer, is in a way responsible for their current state. She'd purchased an antique stove that wasn't properly installed, causing a gas leak in their previous house. Now, her daughter is scarred to such an extent that she refuses to go out in public. But their move to Bliss House begins to change Ariel, not necessarily in a good way. And Rainey does refuse to see what so many of the locals see in Bliss House. Even admitting at the beginning that the most recent and scandalous events at the house have allowed her to afford buying it isn't enough for her to recognize the ominous stain that permanently mars the estate. Not that she or anyone else really knows the true extent of the story.
There is a secondary story that plays directly into Rainey and Ariel's tale, that of a young woman kidnapped and held in the house at some time prior to when Bliss House takes place. Her story is truly horrific and as we begin with her tale it does set the tone for the book as a whole.
At times Bliss House is a quite nasty book, just in terms of kinds of violence. If you're a sensitive reader, you have been warned. But overall it's not a terribly graphic horror novel. Instead, Bliss House is the kind of horror that relies on overall plot, atmosphere, and characters to provide the necessary thrills and chills of the story. And boy does Benedict build up the atmosphere!
Bliss House is out now and makes for the perfect creepy bedtime read (even if it's not raining!).
Laura Benedict has long been a favorite of mine and each new book she releases is immediately on my must have list. I was actually planning to read this one about a month ago - in time to cover it for its release - and things kept delaying me. As annoyed as that was making me, I have to say it was clearly fate's way of telling me to wait. The weather this week was perfect reading for a haunted house story - rare and noisy thunderstorms here in Colorado!
I do so enjoy a good haunted house story and Bliss House is a GOOD haunted house story. As the revelations of the house begin to unfold, it becomes clear to the reader that Benedict has so much more hidden up her sleeve. Even if I didn't know already that she's working on more Bliss House books, I'd have finished with a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't the last we'd see of the creepy abode.
Rainey and Ariel's story is ultimately one of a mother trying her best to care for her daughter. Rainey, an interior designer, is in a way responsible for their current state. She'd purchased an antique stove that wasn't properly installed, causing a gas leak in their previous house. Now, her daughter is scarred to such an extent that she refuses to go out in public. But their move to Bliss House begins to change Ariel, not necessarily in a good way. And Rainey does refuse to see what so many of the locals see in Bliss House. Even admitting at the beginning that the most recent and scandalous events at the house have allowed her to afford buying it isn't enough for her to recognize the ominous stain that permanently mars the estate. Not that she or anyone else really knows the true extent of the story.
There is a secondary story that plays directly into Rainey and Ariel's tale, that of a young woman kidnapped and held in the house at some time prior to when Bliss House takes place. Her story is truly horrific and as we begin with her tale it does set the tone for the book as a whole.
At times Bliss House is a quite nasty book, just in terms of kinds of violence. If you're a sensitive reader, you have been warned. But overall it's not a terribly graphic horror novel. Instead, Bliss House is the kind of horror that relies on overall plot, atmosphere, and characters to provide the necessary thrills and chills of the story. And boy does Benedict build up the atmosphere!
Bliss House is out now and makes for the perfect creepy bedtime read (even if it's not raining!).
octavia_cade's review
3.0
This is a little predictable in places - I picked who the main villain was very quickly, as well as the identity of the protagonist - but it was still an enjoyable read. Then again, I do like haunted house stories so I'm predisposed to the sort of gothic, overblown melodrama that's going on here. What's particularly interesting about the book is that the sense of personality comes less from the house itself than the ghosts that inhabit it. For all the characters talk about how Bliss House feels alive, there's never that sense of looming malice that you get from, for example, Hill House or the Overlook Hotel. However, that's not particularly disappointing because it gives a schizophrenic sort of tinge to what's going on - the house is inhabited, is impregnated with evil, sure, but it's not haunted only by evil. Ariel, the 14 year old girl who moves with her mother into Bliss House, for instance, is both harmed and helped by what exists inside it. That's a very different sort of unbalance within a haunted house setting, and it was something that worked really well here I thought.