"Love & Other Monsters" by Emily Franklin. Pub date April 2026

I found this book made me feel sad, terrified and at times haunted. The story evolves gradually and without lots of dramatic moments but there are real moments of significant emotion which seemed subtle at the time. I confess that I don't know a great deal about Byron or Shelley other than the ones which are hard not to miss. Byron's estate was Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire, his notorious celebrity and Shelley's death by drowning. I have not read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and although I did have some awareness of her step-sister joining her on her elopement there ends my knowledge of Claire Clairmont. I wasn't sure what the novel held in its pages and therefore I began reading with a sense of trepidation. From the outset, there are sinister undertones which definitely made the opening line "All love stories are ghost stories waiting to happen" pertinent. This novel made me realise how much younger people got involved in romantic relationships. Claire is in her late teens when she writes to Byron for career advice. When they meet and the relationship begins, Byron is almost a decade older. The character of Claire is both naïve and tenacious. As her relationships untangle; or perhaps emerge as not being particularly strong, I had the sense that she was beginning to learn about herself and better understand the world in which she lived. I felt frustrated for all the women in the story for their lack of agency and the manner in which they were treated by the male characters. There are a few likeable characters in this novel and for me, this is the kind Housekeeper and at times, Byron's personal physician. Overall though the characters add to the ghoulish nature of the story and there is an undercurrent of horror throughout. The title is definitely apt and if you like historic novels and particularly ones that tell the story from a female perspective then I would definitely recommend this. Rating wise I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. It is a tough and at times, hard read though. #LoveOtherMonsters #NetGalley