I loved this book! The Gallagher family has been haunted by the mysterious murders of Cillian and Lily for 20 years and the family has come together to make decisions about Deeprath Castle. Everybody has an opinion of what should happen and none of them line up with the others. As fate would have it, Carragh Ryan, an outsider, is hired on to catalogue the library, but she has her own innocent motives. She finds herself tangled up in the hurting family’s secrets but also manages to become a part of the story she’s been chasing: the story of The Darkling Bride.

I read this book in a day, it was that good! It has all the twists and turns of a good mystery with a few love stories, old and new. I loved how all the personal stories unraveled, how we got to see so clearly the personal battle in some many of the characters. The unfolding of all of those stories and how there was a resolution, not necessarily a happy one, for everybody. There was plenty of heartbreak and heart mending while the haunted family learned about more than just the 20 year old mystery but also a more than 100 year old secret. Such an intriguing story!

The Darkling Bride is a mystery novel narrated by two couples in two different eras. Carragh, our MC, is a English graduate with a love for Irish lore and authors including Evan Chase. Her passion however does not pay the bills until she stumbles upon a job that is too good to be true: cataloguing the world-class library at Deeprath, an Norman/Irish castle just outside of Dublin. There Carragh meets Viscount Aidan Gallagher, a handsome, troubled man who stumbled upon the bodies of his dead parents 20 years earlier. The two begin to form a relationship as they try to unravel the circumstances of his parents death and the death of Evan's wife nearly a century prior while trying to escape the myth of the Darkling Bride.

The tale of the Darkling Bride and Jenny's madness pulled me in from the beginning. I love historical fiction that also has a bit of supernatural. However after the introductions to Jenny, Aidan, Evan and Carragh were complete, the story seemed to drag on a bit. Secondary characters, Nessa, Sibeal and Phillip had more depth at times than Aidan or Carragh. Also I thought Carragh's adoption storyline didn't add much to the plot. Aside from providing another reason for the already abundantly clear love interest (I love you because you're twisted like me, etc.). However, I did appreciate that she was Chinese American, it was a pleasure to read something with some diversity.

Anderson dropped a few clues along the way to help readers unravel the mystery and my prediction of the killer was spot on, albeit the motive was different. Overall this was a very enjoyable read if you are looking for a mystery with a hint of romance, history and the supernatural.

Three stars!

This was such an enjoyable read! Telling the story of one family's history over several hundred years it included a wonderful castle that became a character of the book, amazing landscapes, interesting history, great characters, a bit of romance and a mystery that kept me guessing. It had all the components of a great book that I love and it definitely delivered a really great read.

A whirlwind of romance, dark intentions, ghosts, spectres and mystery. This story follows Carragh Ryan, who is hired to help catalogue the library at Deeprath castle where writer Evan Chase purportedly wrote his final novel. We quickly become embroiled in a mystery- how were the current Lord Gallagher’s parents viciously murdered 30 years ago? Did it have to do with the mystery of the Darkling Bride? I wholeheartedly enjoyed this ride through darkest, wettest Ireland. I highly recommend reading this book with a thick blanket and a warm mug of tea because you will need to caffeine to help you stay awake to finish it!

This book had a lot going for it: a mystical setting, a haunted Irish castle, an intriguing mystery element, romance, and a sympathetic protagonist. But there was simply so much going on, so many different characters, time periods, and side plots crammed into one book that it watered down what could have been a very rich and compelling story. Aside from protagonist Carragh Ryan, character development was especially weak. The author also had a habit of swapping out actual dialogue for general statements such as "Over the course of the night they discussed this and talked about that." That's one of my greatest pet peeves but perhaps this wouldn't bother another reader as much. I loved the concept of this book, but ultimately it did not work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderfully written modern-day Gothic. The characters were intriguing, Mysteries abound in it, you didn't know who to trust. I loved the intrigue and the hidden family history. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a enthralling thriller to read.

**I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.**

This Gothic tale held me rapt. In modern-day Ireland, Carragh has been hired to catalog the contents of the library at Deeprath Castle before the Gallagher family turn their home over to the National Trust. Aidan, the current Viscount Gallagher makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the ancestral home where both his parents met suspicious ends when he was just a child. Carragh is interested in learning what happened to Aidan’s ancestor, a writer whose wife also died suspiciously not long after they were married. After his wife’s death, he never wrote another word. And what of the legend of the Darkling Bride, a spirit said to haunt the castle, who may have driven others to their deaths? Told in both present day and the late 19th century, this story is the kind I like to cuddle up with on a chilly autumn night. The kind of story that has me glancing out the window, afraid to see who or what might be looking back at me. Highly recommended