My Two Cents (Book Review): ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT DREARY by Michelle Miles

Victoria Ravenwood is grieving the deaths of both parents when she receives unexpected news: as their only child, she's inherited Ravenfell Manor, the sprawling and mysterious estate where Victoria had briefly lived as a child. Though the circumstances of the family's abrupt departure from Ravenfell remain murky in Victoria's memories, her mother's parting words are crystal clear: "Sell it. Burn it. Tear it down. Just get rid of it. I never want to return."

Despite this admonition, Victoria's father had held onto the estate, and as its new owner, Victoria is both eager and anxious to return. She isn't sure what she'll find, or what kind of disrepair the estate has fallen into, but to her surprise, she finds it's in pretty good shape thanks to the enigmatic but devoted caretaker, Gabriel, who has maintained it in her family's absence.

Victoria realizes there's something weirdly familiar about Gabriel, but she can't quite put her finger on what. And in relatively short order, she's distracted by unusual happenings inside her new home, including ghostly figures, mysterious noises, secret diaries, and hidden chambers. She comes to the conclusion that the house must be haunted, and whatever entity has staked its claim is the reason her parents fled years ago. Determined to solve the mystery and reclaim her birthright, Victoria sets out to unravel the secrets of Ravenfell Manor.

Along the way, she contends with a meddling aunt who keeps trying to set her up with any eligible bachelor she can find, a tight-knit local community full of folks who don't want to work for her because she lives in a haunted mansion, and a growing attraction to the handsome, brooding Gabriel. As luck would have it, Gabriel holds the key to solving the mysteries lurking within the manor. Victoria just has to live long enough for him to share it with her.

"Once Upon A Midnight Dreary" is part of author Michelle Miles's Enchanted Realms romantasy series. It's a gothic romance that gives you all the Crimson Peak feels (but without that depressing-as-hell Crimson Peak ending). By turns dark, sinister, charming, and sweet, the story picks up speed quickly and is hard to put down.

Victoria and Gabriel are dealing with a vindictive, vengeful spirit hellbent on seeking retribution from them both, and they must rely on each other if they're to survive and escape. Their romance develops slowly from what starts off as a mutual mistrust, then a tentative friendship. Victoria isn't a damsel in distress waiting for Gabriel to rush to the rescue, and Miles endows her with courage, fortitude, and wits enough to save herself when the going gets rough.

Miles isn't a new author to me. I've enjoyed her work for years, but this was my first taste of the Enchanted Realms series. As a horror writer and a gothic fan, I was so excited to learn she was working on a this and I'd pretty much marked my calendar for the book's release date so I could snag a copy hot off the proverbial Kindle presses. And she doesn't disappoint: "Once Upon A Midnight Dreary" is a fun, fast-paced story with some genuinely chilling moments and characters you won't soon forget.

"Once Upon A Midnight Dreary" is available here.