Nestled in the shadow of the Appalachians is where Gwen Ashby stumbles upon the William Marshall Academy, and she's given a trial position as a literature teacher. The gothic boarding school seems trapped in time yet it feels like home the moment Gwen arrives. She's charmed by the lovely buildings, bewitched by the eager students...and utterly seduced by the headmaster. Edwin Yorke is noble, handsome and infuriatingly proper. But his tweedy exterior and courtly manners conceal a raw sensual power that Gwen longs to unleash. It's strangely thrilling to be the only woman on campus-save one other. An eerie white-clad figure roams the grounds by night. She never speaks. She leaves no trace. But this ghostly blight on Gwen's new dream life is the key to the Marshall Academy's mysterious allure. This 10th Anniversary expanded print edition of Tiffany Reisz's gothic romance The Headmaster is newly updated and expanded, with revised text and black-and-white illustrations throughout.
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0Wow. This book was so unexpected and will definitely make my most surprising of the year.
I stumbled across this novella in an October recommendation video on Booktube (I don't even remember who anymore...) and it's been sitting on my Kindle since. I decided to pick it up on a whim in hope of staving off a reading slum - and boy did this do the trick!
This starts off like a pretty typical romance. You're following a main character who is down on her luck and looking for what is next. She just lost her job and relationship and decides to take a chance at a school she overhears being discussed at a restaurant. She finds herself at a gorgeous, gothic castle-like school with a brooding handsome headmaster and a class of highly intelligent boys.
But things take a bit of a twist from there. I really don't want to say anymore because this is one of those books that you should just let take you on the ride. It's haunting and atmospheric and the perfect autumnal read!
If you're looking for a romance that can get you into the Halloween spirit just as well as a spooky thriller, this is it.
I'm really interested to read more from Tiffany Reisz! This novella was a huge surprise and I enjoyed this a whole lot. Definitely want to check out some of their other work soon!
0A gothic romance with a new teacher at a mysterious boarding school with a mysterious headmaster and a mysterious Bride roaming the grounds.
I'm a sucker for these modern books with vintage style covers - I was drawn in by that and Tiffany Reisz who was once of my first romance reads (starting in the genre with The Original Sinners is... something).
I loved the atmosphere of this book. You can tell pretty quickly that something's not quite right -- and I had my theories while reading -- but it's hard to identify exactly what and why it's not right.
The relationship between Gwen and Edwin is a little insta-lusty and definitely pursued by her, but I'm not mad. There are several spicy scenes for a short book, but honestly that's what I was hoping for with this author.
When things come to a head and are revealed, it all happens quickly. Which feels appropriate to me. This is a fast, short read, if you want something a little spicy and a little spooky.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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