All the Deal Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley

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All the Deal Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley

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I knew I needed to read this as soon as I saw the comparison to The Haunting of Bly Manor. I have not yet read House of Salt and Sorrows, but I added that to my list about a quarter of the way through based solely on its apparent similarity to this book. Needless to say, I enjoyed this a lot.

This is a gothic love story that manages some truly disturbing moments of horror. Reader beware: dead, dying, and injured animals are a major theme throughout. That said, I’m highly sensitive to that myself, and it never felt gratuitous and always added to and advanced the story.

This is also a queer love story. Marin and Evie’s romance had me swooning. I will literally never smell cinnamon again without thinking of this book. For the most part, I loved that their relationship was treated as normal and nothing to be commented on. I just wish that there had been some acknowledgement of the very real possibility of homophobia/anti-lgbtqia+ sentiment. Even just an offhand thought could have covered that and made the books’ queer readers that much more comfortable.

All that aside, this has been one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read recently. The writing is beautifully lyrical. I honestly want to listen to the audiobook when I get the chance, just to hear some of my favorite parts being read aloud. The romance is sweet and flows believably with the rest of the story, and the overall story is enthralling. I could hardly put it down, actually hated having to, and literally couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I will admit to seeing some of the twists prior to their reveal, but it did not detract from my enjoyment at all. I absolutely plan to revisit Marin and Evie, and the dark heart of this book that is the Lovelace Estate.

My rating for this is 5 out of 5 stars and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys gothic fiction.

CW for animal death, animal cruelty, parental death, abusive parent, bones, teeth, blood, drowning, living corpses, tarantula, guns, emesis.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and HarperCollins for the early copy. This has been my honest review.
Pronouns: She/Her

What is grief, if not love persevering?

Grief is just love with no place to go.
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