At first I was really loving this book. It was the eerie, macabre, gothic feel that swept me along. 

But then I feel like the story kind of tanked itself. It could've been fantastic. It could've been full of twists and turns that were revealed in a way that took me by surprise but didn't leave me thinking, "how convenient". Instead, I found that instead of hinting at the rules in the world and my not knowing how those rules would affect the outcome of the story--instead, something would happen and then, magically, miraculously, some "rule" would be revealed to set the story down another path. 

I just found that it seemed the author was writing this story by the seat of her pants, going, "Okay, how am I going to fix this issue?" And maybe that's not the case. But it shouldn't feel that way.

I loved the romance in the beginning of the book. Enemies-to-lovers when the "hero" is obviously not a "good guy" is one of my favorite tropes. However, even the romance fell apart for me, when, again, more was revealed as a surprise, instead of layers being hinted at to make things more believable. 


All-in-all, not one of the best. But also not one of the worst. It was entertaining enough for me to want to find out the ending. And that ending--I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it.

In solidarity with the #speakupsmp protest going on, I will not be providing feedback. I will though read the book, I'm not going to punish the author by not enjoying their work.

The concept of this book had a lot of potential but overall just fell flat. I think the author was overly ambitious in how much they could accomplish with this concept in a single book.

The world building and characters both felt underdeveloped. The pacing of the plot was not smooth and frequently had me turning back pages to see if I missed something. The romance was awkward and very insta-list/insta-love once she decided he wasn’t a monster. This book also did a lot of telling not showing the reader.

This book definitely accomplished its gothic vibes and that was one part I did enjoy..

I wanted to like this book but I just didn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available 7/30/24

This is a haunted castle set in Spain thriller that felt very juvenile. The twists and turns were predictable but still fun. I enjoyed it for what it was.

Castle of the Cursed started with the best opening and brought the haunted house vibes strongly. I loved the book so much…to a point.

This book would have been perfect for an adult audience with an older main character (above the age of 18 for the duration of the book) because of the explicit sexual content and adult situations. I can’t recommend a book marketed to children with such content.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

This is a story involving magic and vampires and of course it sets our scene within a big creepy castle. MY FAVORITE. It takes place in modern day where our main character has spent months in the pych ward but gets out and she is invited to Spain to live with her aunt in this castle. While there she comes across some very strange things and people. It was honestly really fun. I loved the setting, the idea this castle could be it’s own character. Totally took me by surprise.

Romina Garber's Castle of the Cursed invites readers into a chilling journey filled with gothic allure and supernatural twists. The novel centers on Estela, who, after her parents' mysterious deaths, relocates to Spain to live with her estranged aunt in their ancestral castle, la Sombra. The castle itself is a character, brooding and enigmatic, setting the perfect backdrop for the unfolding drama. As Estela delves into her family's past, she encounters a silver-eyed boy, Sebastián, who claims to be trapped within the castle's walls.

Garber's prose is evocative, painting vivid images of the gothic castle and its haunting secrets. The blend of supernatural elements with a psychological thriller keeps the reader guessing, and the plot twists are both surprising and satisfying. The dynamics between Estela and Sebastián are compelling, their relationship evolving naturally amidst the tension and uncertainty. The narrative is well-paced, maintaining a balance between suspense and emotional depth.

While the story is captivating, the complexity of the plot might feel overwhelming at times, with numerous threads converging towards the climax. However, these intricacies contribute to the overall richness of the narrative. Castle of the Cursed is a gripping tale that combines the gothic and the supernatural with a deeply personal quest for truth. It's a must-read for fans of atmospheric mysteries and haunting family sagas.

Story started with a bang… literally. This book feels like that scene in Twilight: New Moon where the camera is spinning and Possibility by Lykke Li is playing. The angst…the DRAMA!!!!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the eARC of Castle of the Cursed.

“No hay luz en Oscuro”

“Castle of the Cursed” follows the story of Estela, a young woman whose world turned upside down the day she lost her parents in a mysterious train crash where she was the sole survivor. No one believes Estela when she says that there was something supernatural behind her parents murder and she was sent to a psychiatric hospital. After months of being in a psych hospital, Estela is sent off to Spain to live with an aunt she didn't know she had in a little town called Oscuro, where in the top the town it's La Sombra, her family's castle. Once in Oscuro, Estela is willing to solve the mystery behind her parents' deaths and at the same time uncover the secrets of La Sombra.

This is my first time reading a dark gothic story like this and I found it to be really interesting, I mean who doesn't like a good mystery? Unfortunately, the story reaches a point where there's a lot going on at the same time and It made me feel lost at times. This story has a subplot that feels kinda out of place and unnecessary for me.

On the brighter side, as a native Spanish speaker, I enjoy the little Spanish used in the book. I feel like there's a lot of room to explore in this universe that Romina has created. The Bralaga family story is interesting. I would love to read more about the family history and how La Sombra came to be what it is.

DNF @ 34%

This started off strong, with an interesting premise and a main character who I could relate to in a lot of ways. However, the quality of both the writing and the storytelling went downhill at around 30%, and I just could not make myself keep reading. I'm sure there's an audience for this, but I'm not it.

Castle of the Cursed is a nice blend between serious issues and the world of vampires. The romance is darker and not what I'm used to, but I still enjoyed it. The first half of the book had a lot happening and it grabbed my attention, but then the second half slightly derailed. There's a huge twist which was jaw dropping and shocking, but it also felt like a bomb went off. I would have liked the information with more of a gradual set-up rather than an information dump. Overall a very enjoyable read and I would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5
I received this book for my honest opinion.

If you’re looking for a YA book that is filled with paranormal, webs of mystery, a lot of twists and turns, gothic romance this book is definitely one that you should pick up. In this book you will meet Estela whose family has perished 7 months ago and she finds out that she has 1 living relative still alive but she lives at their ancestral Spanish castle called La Sombra. Estela knows what killed her parents and 23 others was not what the authorities are saying but something else and she will do whatever she has to find out the truth. However will that truly take her down a path that has no return and is clouded in more smoke??

I thought this author did a great job with the plot, yes there are a lot of secrets and the plot does twist around a few times, but I didn’t have a hard time understanding what was going on at all. I did have to go back a few times and re read a page again just because I was like “wait! No, that didn’t just happen” but in a good way. The pace was great for the book, no info dump in the first part of the book, but throughout the book you will get more and more information. I thought the world building was excellent, when you read this book you will drag into the world and really get the feel for this spooky Spanish castle and all the secrets that it’s wanting to spill. I loved that you get a paranormal aspect in this book. I thought the characters were well developed and I found myself able to relate to Estela. Sebastian, he is a whole different story… At first I was like nope nope I don’t like you but of course the “villain” always wins over my heart about 1/4 of the way in and yup he did that in this book as well. I loved that he was all like touch her and die, yet in the start he was like I am going to kill you. 

I found that this multi-generational and multi-dimensional gothic mystery was just what I needed. I found the darker side of YA fantasy to be perfect and I thought the author did good with the trigger warnings at the start of the book. Make sure to read them before you dive into this book because it does address suicide, mental health, death of parents and grief. I also received the Audio of this book and I thought the narrator did a great job with this book. It really helped to bring the characters and the scenes to life. 

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martins and Macmillan for the opportunity to review this book.

I was initially unsure about this book. It is rather strange with the mysterious black smoke, the cursed castle in which most of the rooms are off limits, the odd behavior and rules of Aunt Bea. It was unclear early on whether the plot would become farcical or would evolve into a story worth reading. Also, the story predominately takes place in Spain, and the author repeatedly included lengthy passages in Spanish that were not translated or only partially translated. This is annoying because as a reader I know I am likely missing something important. However, as the story progresses and Estela starts to figure out what is going on with her and her unusual new home, and starts to understand strange events from her past, the story improves significantly. The story has some very creative aspects, especially the reason that Bea, who runs the village clinic, requires regular donations of blood by all the residents, and the importance of twins in the family.

"A delicious and dark Gothic romance from bestselling author Romina Garber!

THE HOUSE IS ALWAYS HUNGRY...

After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor's guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.

Beneath its Gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents' deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he's been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.

As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra's secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she's chasing has already found her...and they're closer than she ever realized."

I'm all about spooky Spanish castles.

So this book started pretty well, but then it just started to get too much and was dragging on and on . It was VERY slow and a lot of information and details that didn't quite make sense. It was very dark, and the story was interesting but just very slow. I enjoyed it , it kept me interested


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for giving the chance to read and review this book.

An engaging, gothic thriller/romance. A unique story about a family curse and the girl who is destined to break it. Would definitely recommend for readers if gothic fiction, mystery, and the supernatural.

Okay I hardly ever do this but I can't continue. I must concede and admit defeat. I can withstand much from books, but at some point I have to put my foot down and move on. I read 30% of this book and there were so many cliches that I fear the whole book is just one big cliche. The way Estela just becomes so infatuated with the vamp so quickly is not my cup of tea especially since he drank from her without her consent. Then when she asks him not to touch her without her consent he refuses. Yes, he eventually agreed to not touch her without her consent but my dude has already done the deed so he can't be redeemed in my book. He also kept threatening to kill her way too much. There was just so many problematic moments in that 30% that I read that I can't go on. Every relationship moved quickly with no real development. Not even the mystery could keep me reading.

This book was totally up my ally with its gothic creepy spooky vibe. While it did get a little “teen” at times that was totally fine with me as I actually love that kind of nostalgia. The characters were pretty interesting too and it was such a unique book - haven’t read anything like it. I too as others am a bit confused by the ending but also didn’t mind it at all. Will be recommending and adding to my library.

This is a translated version of the original review, published in spanish:

Score: 3.2 Stars.

What? will there be a new book by Romina coming out this week? Well, of course I have to read it! Thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this novel.

I have always found Romina's stories entertaining and quick to read. Furthermore, I believe that she is an author whose works are perfect to read in English, especially for those who are practicing this language, since her Latin roots make the narration close enough, without abandoning the language in which it was written.

On this occasion, the author will take us to Spain, in a town called Oscuro, where we will also tour the corridors of an immense Gothic castle called “La Sombra.” Our main character is a girl who has suffered a serious accident in the subway, of which she was the only survivor. Sadly, her parents were not as lucky as she was, and now she finds herself alone in the United States, a country she considered home.

However, upon being the subject of investigation, the authorities discover that Estela is not a US citizen, but that she arrived with her parents from Spain many years ago. This is shocking for her, because she was very little when they arrived in the country, and her parents never told her the truth. Here we have the first trust conflict that the protagonist will experience in this story: Why did her parents hide the truth from her? Who are they? Was what happened in the subway really an accident? It is under these circumstances that Estela ends up in Spain, searching for her origins, for an explanation for everything that is happening. However, here we will discover that she is just another piece in a much larger chess game.

This was an entertaining read, perfect for reading during the fall and on rainy days. The gothic atmosphere of it is captivating and it has a couple of scenes that will make the hairs on the back of the readers' necks chill.

The reason I don't give this book a higher score is because I feel like the story didn't fully connect with me. I feel like maybe it's because the novel is aimed at a younger audience. I honestly feel that a younger audience could really enjoy it. In my case, I recommend it to those who are looking for a read with mysterious, suspenseful and a gothic atmosphere. Also, for those who are learning English, I consider this to be a perfect book to practice the language.

DNF @ 30%
Initially I liked this story. It was eerie and just the right amount of haunting gothic paranormal. But the moment the main character started talking again, that’s where things nosedived for me. It suddenly felt like CW attempt at making a teen gothic paranormal show. But also it felt like a dream: crazy and nonsensical. The main character was alright, but the side characters were all over the place and too much and caricature-like. I liked the idea for this story, but I think the execution could’ve been better. Do I think there’s an audience for this? Definitely. And I would recommend it to people, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.