GUEST REVIEW: Thistlemarsh by Moores Corrigan

ABOUT THE BOOK

Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.

In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh...for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

OPENING LINES The war did not bring the Faeries back to England. As boys languished in the trenches, they still spoke in hushed “what ifs” until all hope ran out. The belief in magic was replaced by the reality of mustard gas. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who still held on to hope. Despite herself, Mouse was one of those few.

THISTLEMARSH by Moorea Corrigan. Publication April 21, 2026

GUEST REVIEW by Sophia Rose

When one is in desperate need, that is not the time to make a faerie bargain—or is it?

Moorea Corrigan is a new-to-me writer, but I confess that the moment Thistlemarsh was waved under my nose, I had to read it.  I loved the blurb’s mention of the WWI time period blended with, fae fantasy.  

Thistlemarsh opens when ex-combat nurse, Mouse Dunne, returns from the war front a whole lot grimmer and more pragmatic than when she left, believing in the wonder of faeries and hoping for their return.  After a cousin’s death in the trenches and her brother’s severe case of shell shock, she returns to her upper-class uncle’s old faery-blessed estate with all the pressure that comes from his will—with provisions:  

She must restore the estate within a month, marry, or lose her much-needed inheritance. She needs this for her brother, though she is well aware there is no way she can meet her dead uncle’s requirement (and well he knew it- no surprise the way he feels about a niece who was the gardener’s daughter).

The fae had been gone for over a century, and yet, right in her desperate situation, one appears, and Thornwood offers to help- for a price, of course.  And she knows it’s a bad bargain, but desperation drives her.

Thistlemarsh carries a classic dark-fairy-tale atmosphere, enriched by lush descriptions and a growing sense of tension as Mouse enters the house, all set against a vividly rendered backdrop of post-war melancholy. The house is a character in its own right. What delicious tension once the faerie Thornwood arrives; their interactions were taut and engaging.  I enjoyed whimsical adds like a dog-dragon, the way Mouse is healed, and Thistlewood.  There were brief lags and distractions, but overall, I was immersed in the lore and wonder of Moorea Corrigan’s Thistlemarsh.  Cozy fantasy, historical fantasy, and fantasy romance readers: take note of this one.

Morrea Corrigan, author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Morrea Corrigan is a historical fantasy author with a love of all things "period drama." She holds a bachelor's degree with honors in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh and a Master of Publishing degree from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. She currently works at an academic press in Boulder, Colorado. When she's not writing, you can find her singing, spending time with her menagerie of pets, or attending Jane Austen conventions in full Regency regalia. 

Sophia Rose, guest reviewer

ABOUT SOPHIA ROSE, Guest reviewer

Sophia is a quiet, curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants, and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and a loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, baseball, cats, Scooby Doo, and chocolate. As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. In 2012, she submitted her first book review and is currently an associate reviewer.

Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener, which allows her to experience many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction, particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Sorry, no horror...or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby. Connect with Sophia via FACEBOOK GOODREADS TWITTER