While we're compiling the 50 best Gothics, how about starting a list of the ones to avoid. It does not need a limit. I'll contribute my least favorites to date:

1. "The Sandalwood Fan" by Katherine Wigmore Eyre. See my previous review.
2. "Dark Eden" by Barbara Kevern. This must have been one of the novels rushed through during the Gothic boom because it is mediocre at best.

Have you only read bad ones?

I've only read a few, but they are not all bad. I did read some of the recommended books, and I might add my own suggestions to the list.

Most of the time I like the books I read. It's hard not to like a book after giving it so much time. Investing so much time in anything makes me value it at least a little bit.

You can invest a lot of time in a book and not like it in the end because you might not like the ending. Or, perhaps it was a poorly written book but you just want to give it a chance and read it to the end. You never know, it might improve. Regardless, whether you like a book or not, I would hope that every reader can critically evaluate a book's worth and either make a recommendation for another to read or to avoid.

A recently written gothic romance I'd suggest avoiding is DARK WHISPERS, by Samantha Garver. Here is a summary of the major flaws I noted in this book:

* Repeated obscuration of the identities of the characters speaking or acting.
* Repeated placement of key information at the end of sentences. This requires the reader to reread the sentence to understand it fully, greatly slowing down the flow of the reading experience.
* Faulty and hazy representation of historical details, customs, clothing, etiquette, deportment, and so on.
* Incorrect representation of equestrian details.
* Characters that seem to meander in search of a plot.
* Switches in point of view within paragraphs and sometimes even within sentences.
* Poor word choices.
* Improper use of dashes in punctuation.
* Implausible movement of characters that sometimes omits important details.
* Lack of plausible character motivation.

It is disappointing that this new author's work has so many major flaws, as she seems avid about the genre and is producing more gothic romances that are being published. I worry that her publishers' obvious lack of editing and discrimination about what it is accepting for publication may lead to the downfall, yet again, of the gothic romance as a potentially popular genre. The genre has slowly been working its way back into at least marginal acceptance by publishers, although one rarely sees "Gothic Romance" on a spine label. I'd hate to see books like this reverse that trend.

Never heard of the author or the book but I'll keep it in mind. Very good review, GothicLover. I don't want to see Gothics go into another downfall, either. It's already bad enough that I have to keep my book covers under wraps.

#4: Nun's Castle by Jennie Melville (you can read my review)

You can read my review about The Angel's Promise by Frederic Lenoir and Violette Cabesos. But it did win a French literary prize, so you might still want to give it a try.

#6: The Lattimore Arch by Angela Gray. See my review.