I loved the gothic elements in this book and how plot develops! I did struggle a lot throughout the book to connect with and in turn with the story as much as I would have liked. Overall an enjoyable creepy story that I recommend trying out!

I received a free copy of this novel on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you liked Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic (and/or Twilight), you will love this paranormal, Young Adult, gothic telenovela - and I mean telenovela.

Romina Garber’s novel address a lot of serious topics such as grief, survivor’s guilt, suicide, death of a parent and mental health issues. Though the messaging is deep, the story is surprisingly camp and not to be taken too seriously. Just go along for the ride.

At every turn, we learn something new about Estela, her family, or la Sombre. This could become overwhelming to some readers. However, if you view each chapter as an episode of a telenovela, it’s a lot easier to jump from a spooky and mysterious town, to enemies to lovers, to a long lost uncle just showing up doing magic.

Estela is also completely infuriating. She doesn’t listen to any of the rules and then wonders why bad things happen. Ugh. Teenagers.

Overall, Garber excels at blending genres, though purists of gothic romance or supernatural mysteries might not fully embrace the mash-up. Still, the fusion works if you like over-the-top drama and campy fun (Death Becomes Her/Beetlejuice/Heathers). The romance, while charming, veers slightly into “insta-love” territory, but it’s tempered by the mystery and the stakes surrounding Sebastián’s curse.

This book had a lot of potential and I am certain it will find it's people but it did not hit the mark for me. Certain parts are over done which leads to a feeling of campy vampire telenova. Certain characters personalities completely implode for the sake of pushing the plot forward and the plot twist/cliff hanger at the end of the book doesn't make sense and not in a "I just didn't see if coming" way but that it was thrown in there for shock factor and only shock factor. Would love to see what is next for this author as I think they will be able to iron the wrinkles I found in this book.

Overall, I didn't find it "gothic horror" like it was marketed - it definitely fit the gothic part, but not the horror part. And despite being a "gothic romance" I don't think we needed the romance - I think it would have worked without the two vague scenes and the wishywashy shadow love interest.

I read fiction for a reason, but I would like my fiction to make sense. I understand plot wise WHY the author did what she did; just because it makes sense plot wise doesn't mean it's always the best idea.

The book hooked me at first, and I was super involved with wanting to know more; as the story hit about 50% of the way through, I think there was too much of... everything and it diluted the story. I think the author put a little *too* much supernatural aspects in this book. If it was straight family legacy, haunted/cursed castle and magic, I believe the story would have flown better, but once you threw in additional supernatural beings that really don't make sense in the setting, I lost me.

I personally didn't care for the twist at the end, or the ending per say; just wasn't my cup of tea. Despite it's flaws it was an easy read and I did really like the fact we did learn Spanish with the character!

Castle Of The Cursed
Romina Garber
4.5⭐️

Pub Date: 7/30/2024

Woosh! That was a freaking good read!
That prologue was already OMG-worthy. It nabbed my attention right away! 25 people just froze and dropped dead in the subway with only 1 survivor? Black smoke all around without fire? What was happening?! When Estela (FMC) moved to Spain and had to live in a family castle rumored to be cursed, she started experiencing more bizarre events. There were so many things and events that I didn't expect about the castle, the history of the family, the characters and the town itself. I had a lot of mixed feelings for certain people. It was so twisted but in a really good way. There were so many things happening because of the dimensions and the other mysteries, but they were easy to follow and I didn't really feel like I got lost in any way. This feels like a YA book. It has romance but minimal spice. It didn't take away from the plot though. The only thing I noted was that there were so many Spanish sentences and words (which is understandable as this was set in Spain). Yes they're mostly translated but there were times when I thought some weren't. It may be a little challenging for people without Spanish language background. I had to Google a few.
Overall, this was well written and I definitely enjoyed every part of it.
Fantasy, Gothic, murder, mystery, romance with a sexy entity... what else can we ask for? 🤭

Thank you @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for a gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This YA Gothic Horror was quite the ride. I definitely felt entertained, and if I had gone into this story thinking it would be more serious, I might have disliked it. Instead, I found myself almost laughing my way through the twists and turns (kind of like when I watch horror movies). Structurally, the book is a bit all over the place, but the story still makes sense. If you want to feel like you're watching a vampire telenovela, this is your book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have quite literally never read anything like it.

It took me a couple days to write this review because this book was so unique, and frankly a little dark, which isn’t always my cup of tea but this one really held my interest.

It’s one of those books where you really don’t know what to believe or entirely what is going on, but in a clearly intention and honestly thrilling kind of way. It was my first time reading Romina Garber and I would read it and her again.

If you’re a fan of mystery, twists, and some dark magic - this one might just be for you!

Fat-friendly rating? 🩶 neutral

I had high hopes for this gothic paranormal vampire thriller, horror, romance, but the execution let me down. This book was trying to be so many things and so it got lost and didn't fully achieve any of them in a fully fleshed out way.
The one thing that this book did really well was vibes, so if you are okay with underdeveloped characters and a plot that could use a bit more cohesion you will be satisfied with the vibes.

“These new feelings you awaken in me are more terrifying than not knowing who I am.”

What an eerie, and unexpected surprise. I really enjoyed reading this one. It was gothic, romantic, fantastic, and sometimes just weird, but overall it was great!
It is all thoughtfully put together, very beautifully written, and the world building is done very well. Picture Disney’s Encanto if the house were haunted. The neighbourhood has such history that really leaned into the storyline, strengthening the beliefs some characters held to their core. I really loved how Romina Garber was able to bring in a lot of Spanish culture, including the language.
The story follows Estela after a mysterious tragedy occurs, she is taken from her life in the USA and moved to Spain to be with distant family members. She finds herself alone, struggling, and feeling so lost within herself as she uncovers so much about her past that she didn’t even know about. We meet Sebastián, who begrudgingly teams up with Estela to help her figure out her past, as well as her future, and the spine chilling truth as to why she never knew this part of her family.
I would have liked to know more about the house and the magic within it but I could see how going into it much more would make for a very long novel. The romance in the book was okay. I loved Sebastián but didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two of them.
The last sentence of the book - OMG! Definitely not what I was expecting and left my jaw on the floor!
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dark romances or paranormal fiction.

I just didn't vibe with this book. It wasn't for me. I wasn't invested in the characters and everything was just too weird, but not a good weird. I felt like the whole plot was rushed but at the same time too slow. The pacing was just so off. I also didn't believe the romance in this at all. It wasn't there one second and the next it was there like magic. This just wasn't the book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

When Estela's parents die suddenly in a freak accident that leaves everyone but her dead, she is left directionless and alone. After a stint in the hospital she is contacted by a long lost aunt she didn't know about who offers her a home in Spain. The home is full of weird rules and odd things.

This book was pretty good. There were quite a few times though where I felt the story got away from the author and things didn't make much sense. It would pull me out of the story immediately. There was also this weird enemies to insta love thing going that weirded me out as well.

I'd like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC
.
There were many aspects about this book that I loved and some I didn't enjoy as much. I loved the descriptions and the glimpses of the other world. I would have loved to see more of it explored, but I'm content with what we did see. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed getting to know them. I personally struggled with the pacing a little. At times it felt like the story dragged. Despite my few issues, I still loved the characters and world that was created.

This was 100% a very unique take on vampires, one I have never experienced before so I enjoyed the novelty of the idea. The book overall was very dark and sad, basically a grief spiral full of heartbreak, loss and suicidal ideation so if those are topics you do not want to read about then maybe stay clear of this read. I am pretty sure this is YA, but with the dark emotional aspect of the book as well as the sexual encounters, I would not recommend this to the younger readers, only older teens and adults. I will say the part I was the most unhappy with is the instalove. The whole story takes place over less than 2 weeks, the love interests do not know each other except through some violent/abusive encounters and then there was a lot of declaring of eternal love that came out of nowhere so I was not sold on the romance. I will say the ending was a giant WTF moment that left me with A LOT of questions that I need to discuss especially since I am pretty sure this is a standalone novel. Way to throw me a curve ball to keep me up at night.

I love gothic romance and haunting stories. This had potential but fell flat for me. The story went in an odd direction that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The character development wasn't there. I was unable to relate to the characters and I just didn't connect with the story line at all. I know it's YA book but the romance was severely lacking.
Estela's parents died, she has no explanation of how it happened. All she knows is there was some black smoke and everyone was dead but her. She ends up being packed up and sent to live with an aunt she has never heard of in a castle she didn't know existed. Something is wrong with the castle and the town it's in. Her aunt is less than friendly and Estella is not thrilled with the arrangement. She begins to feel a dark presence surrounding her in the castle. When he finally makes his appearance, she's the only one that can see him. Does he actually exist or is she going crazy? Estela finds out that he's a vampire from another realm and his name is Sebastian. They decided to team up to figure out what the castle is hiding.

3.5 stars
Wellll ... that was weird. The synopsis of Castle of the Cursed makes it seem like a pretty straightforward haunted house novel. Going into this book, I was really into the premise, and unsure as to why there were so many mixed reviews. And the start of this book is pretty basic. I really enjoyed the plot and found it easy to follow for the first third of the book. I also liked the romance - it reminded me of Crimson Peak. Then, the first twist hit. Then another, and another, and another. And all of a sudden this story had transformed into something so complex and bizzare. I understand why some people don't like how the story progressed. It is admittedly quite weird, and sometimes the plot becomes muddy. That being said, it was also so unique and intriguing. Once I wrapped my mind around the plot, I really enjoyed it. My only other complaint was that the romance felt a little rushed. Overall, I would recommend this book, but perhaps only to a certain demographic - self-proclaimed weird girls who love spooky, alien vibes.
Thank you to the publisher and MacMillan Audio for the arcs in exchange for an honest review!

Castle of the cursed by Romina Garber was released out in the world at the perfect time because it's mid summer beginning of fall and so I read this in the month of October. and it was a perfect choice for me! Before I begin my review thanks to Wednesday Book for sending me an e-arc of this one and so happy Owlcrate did a special edition of this amazing read. All opions are my own!(:

We follow our main character Estela and she recently get this mysterious attack of claims for this haunted house. Personally for me I love a good haunted house setting and I wasn't expecting the love traingle happening and wasn't excpecting it and sometimes get mad at them but enjoy them this time around! The background knowlege was something I've never learned about so learning some new laungage is something i FIND VERY COOL!
Overall rating is a 4 stars, I read this in 2 days it was so fun if I didn't had work I would've read in one day cause of how quick the author's writing style is and the narrator for the audio was amazing too.

I really tried to enjoy this book because the intro was interesting tho the book lost me by about page 50 and I was done at about page 100.

Castle of the Cursed was a highly anticipated read for me. Just look at that cover! Unfortunately, I was not able to finish Castle of the Cursed. I adored the Gothic vibes and the castle setting. The writing and descriptions were all there including the eerie atmosphere, but the main issue was I just did not connect with young Estela. I appreciate all the care that went into her character’s development but I just feel like maybe I wasn’t the right reader for it at the time. Thank you, for the early readers opportunity.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read a ridiculously convoluted YA Mary Sue vampire novel that's somehow both incredibly cliche and impossible to follow?

On my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
Love the tagline for this. Genuinely can't decide if I like the cover.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
This is VERY YA.

I fucking love gazpacho.

I'm not like other girls. I don’t wear makeup. Shut up, you pick me.

I'm bored. DNF. (Except I don’t do that because I’m a masochist.)

This is bad.

Her being dead is a good twist. (Except it’s not even true.)

Lmao every book is bears.

Should I stay or should I go now🎶

He doesn’t understand reality but he understands Tupperware lmao.

This is some soap opera shit.

Because plot armor that’s why!

If no one else is gonna say it, I’ll say it. Stockholm syndrome.

I have plot whiplash.

Why does this feel vaguely anti-vaxer.

This book has given up entirely on making sense.

So much info dumping. Like oh, I didn’t explain this, but here’s a sentence to explain away a plot hole.

I’m so checked out from this book. It is badddd.

This book is so dumb.

What is this random smut doing here lmao? No THANKS.

Barely legals doing bondage play for a sentence or two is NOT my idea of a silly goofy time lmao.

I DON’T WANNA HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT A MAN’S BLOODY SACK. TODAY IS NOT THE DAY. (It’s post-election day in America.)

Maybe I’m projecting because I’m fragile rn, but that pregnancy stance feels very pro-life to me, and I’M NOT IN THE MOOD!
Also like kinda insensitive to the infertiles. You can't have a baby because you’re not in love enough? Fuck off.

This book sucks, man.

I know twins run in families, but this is unreal.

Also, their whole thing about how the magic works because the twins have identical DNA, but then they have boy girl twin pairs and non-identical twins- that doesn’t make any sense.

What in the childbride nonsense is this.

This book is firmly YA, but there's too much sex in here for me to be comfortable with a YA label, you know. And like it’s not well done, so I wouldn't even call it smut, but it’s just too much for the children lol.

This is unreadable.

Oh, by all means, choose to live again for some boy.

It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to🎶

How is this not over? Only my stubbornness is keeping me here.

I don’t think they’re letting girlypop into med school after the lack of schooling and the felony investigation, but go off. (You know, I take it back about the felony investigation. We’ll let it slide for a president, so who knows.)

That’s not- that’s not how any of this works, but I’ve been saying that all book, so I don’t even know what to do at this point.

I like that she has time to be a world traveler, hunt pedophiles, go to med school, bang her vampire husband, and garden. She’s a multi-hyphenate girly. Oh and be the mayor. Can’t forget that. Silly me.

Post-reading:
Y'all, what was this? It’s an incredibly cliché YA vampire novel. It also takes every cliché and just throws it at the wall in the hopes that something will stick, but it just becomes an incoherent mess. There’s a lot of plotholes. There’s a lot of info dumps. The pacing is very disjointed. The romance feels insta lovey. There’s random smut in this that feels so out of place, and I hesitate to even call it smut because it’s only a few sentences, but at no point do I want to read about a 17-year-old playing with bondage. One of my pet peeves is when a book tries to sell itself as diverse but the only diversity in it comes from food and using a different language, only to restate the exact same words again in English. Either you want your reader to translate it or you don’t. The characters are so flat. The main character is a Mary Sue. The romance isn’t romantic. It can’t decide if it wants to be a gothic, or some folk horror, alien, urban fantasy nonsense.

And the first half of this is readable. It’s not well done. It’s crazy boring, and you’ve definitely read it before and better, but it’s readable. The back half is such a jumbled mess. I think the author was aiming for plot twists, but it just felt like a lot of explanation after the fact and everything got resolved too quickly with little to no consequences. There was really nothing worthwhile in this for me and nothing to redeem it. It’s going on my do not read list, and I wouldn’t pick up the author again.

Who should read this:
YA vampire die hards
Telenovela fans

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
Nope.

Would I buy this:
Nope.

Similar books:
* The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores-YA queer fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, vampires
* Court of the Undying Seasons by A. M. Strickland-YA fantasy romance, magical school, enemies to lovers, vampires, shadow daddy
* Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli-NA witchy fantasy romance, enemies to lovers
* Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro-historical retelling, urban fantasy, romance, vampires
* Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool-YA urban fantasy mystery, enemies to lovers romance, family drama
* Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffen-YA witchy urban fantasy, enemies to lovers, family drama, shadow daddy
* A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand-NA fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, shadow daddy
* Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros-NA fantasy romance, magical school, enemies to lovers, shadow daddy

I DNF’d this one. I just couldn’t get into it. I felt no connection to the MC and found the plot a bit boring.