Release Date: October 18th, 2022

Genre(s): Adult fiction, gothic, mystery, LGBT+

Publisher: Forge Books

Pages: 288

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

Thank you to BookishFirst and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced finished copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis

A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen’s Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.

Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret—but it’s not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they’ve needed to keep others out. And now they’re worried they’re keeping a murderer in.

Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept—his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.

Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He’s seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn’t extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy—and Irene’s death is only the beginning.

When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can’t lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.

Review

It’s no surprise that I enjoy gothic novels based on my reading history and favorites. I especially love gothic novels that incorporate elements not often presented (or acknowledged) in the classics, which is ultimately what caught my attention with Lavender House. I found myself intrigued by both the time period and the exploration of LGBT+ people at this time and how the current viewpoints and legislation impacted their lives (and especially so for the narrator).

While this book presents a promising start, I found many parts of this book to be a bit underwhelming in their execution. I think a general lack of character development caused my interest to fade slightly, especially given that the proximity of the characters in the house is a contributing element to the plot. I think what makes mysteries like this compelling is that there is something at stake until the mystery is resolved, and without that development, there’s not as much interest to de nod about the end result.

However, I did really like the scenic aspects of this book. The idea of rivaling soap companies was an interesting background and I thought the presence of lavender around the house and its connections to the storyline was a really unique touch.

Ultimately, I think Lavender House brings some really unique features to the genre but is lacking in some areas. I’d tend to recommend it more to those looking for a procedural with a gothic twist and queer characters.

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