The Haunting of Brynn Wilder

I grabbed a copy of this book based on its gorgeous cover and its blurb that promised a chilling read, but I finished it feeling disappointed and underwhelmed. 

This was another case of the blurb not accurately describing the book - a frustrating and increasingly common issue. Based on the write up on its cover, I expected a Gothic suspense/dark romance but ended up with a story that had a saccharine Hallmark movie-of-the-week vibe with a hearty dose of supernatural YA 'insta-love' romance. Not really my jam.

Despite a couple of scenes, the story lacks suspense and had more of a cozy mystery atmosphere with its small town, everyone-knows-everyone's-business feel. This may have been better as a short story. It had some good ideas, but it didn't come together well. It was too convoluted making it hard to find the actual plot with so much page time devoted to daily minutiae, an odd mix of plot points that don't go anywhere and the actual haunting relegated to the outer edges of the story. 

With its sluggish pace, overly dramatic feel and misleading blurb, this book lacked the thrills and chills I was hoping for, making this a big miss for me. 

My Rating: 2 stars

Author: Wendy Webb

Genre: 'Gothic', supernatural, contemporary fiction

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from public library

Pages: 288

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

First Published: November 1, 2020

Opening Line: Everyone is haunted by something.

Book Description from GoodReads: After a devastating loss, Brynn Wilder escapes to Wharton, a tourist town on Lake Superior, to reset. Checking into a quaint boardinghouse for the summer, she hopes to put her life into perspective. In her fellow lodgers, she finds a friendly company of strangers: the frail Alice, cared for by a married couple with a heartbreaking story of their own; LuAnn, the eccentric and lovable owner of the inn; and Dominic, an unsettlingly handsome man inked from head to toe in mesmerizing tattoos.

But in this inviting refuge, where a century of souls has passed, a mystery begins to swirl. Alice knows things about Brynn, about all of them, that she shouldn’t. Bad dreams and night whispers lure Brynn to a shuttered room at the end of the hall, a room still heavy with a recent death. And now she’s become irresistibly drawn to Dominic—even in the shadow of rumors that wherever he goes, suspicious death follows.

In this chilling season of love, transformation, and fear, something is calling for Brynn. To settle her past, she may have no choice but to answer.