I really enjoyed the clever blending of the romance and horror genres, set against the backdrop of a reality romance show similar to The Bachelor. Some of the tension of the book was whether or not we’d get a Happily Ever After ending for at least two of the characters. The last several chapters really paid off the story in a very satisfying fashion.

“Most marriages end in divorce.”“The other half end in death.”Four women—the two POV characters, Linda and Sabrina, plus Marion and Charity—participate in a reality TV show called The Groom (What is reality nowadays, though? The contestants know their unscripted roles, and scenes are obsessively reshot). It all starts rather innocuously, though there’s a creepy “date” in a taxidermy shop—which is, of course, a foreshadowing. To freshen things up, the producer, Deja, suggests a slight change of scenery: the contestants are to spend a week in a haunted house, an idea The Groom is totally on board with because he digs scary stuff.When the crew arrives, a series of disturbing occurences follow, culminating in a mudslide blocking the road. And then the host of the show is found dead, and what killed him may not be a ghost—but it may not be entirely human, either.A brilliant, sparkling novel. Is it a rosé or a cuvée? I’m not quite sure, but I’m loving the taste. The character work is exceptional here, from the deliciously shallow Tristan (yep, that’s The Groom’s name) to the Botox-overloaded Brandon Fuller to the tortured Linda trying to come to terms with a terrible secret from her own childhood.The horror was very well done: the main speculative element is fresh and will keep you guessing until the end.A solid 5 stars—but then we wouldn’t expect anything less from Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam.

This is a fantastic book about toxic relationships and unspeakable horror. I was rooting for Linda the whole time. Definitely a startling new voice in horror.

It’s the first book I read from this author and I’m not disappointed, I really enjoyed it I was hooked from the very beginning!

From a clever premise--a reality-tv show romance in a haunted house--to the enjoyable characters and disquieting finale, Grim Root hooks you from beginning to end.In addition to being a great horror novel, it's also a smart satire of reality TV. It analyzes female dynamics and the ways that women destroy each other.4.5 stars, rounded up. Deducted a half star because the supernatural elements aren't explored or resolved in a satisfying way.