Thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Wednesday Books for this copy of "Castle of the Cursed."

Creepy mysterious castles, gothic village with secrets, estranged relatives. What will Stela learn about her new home in the castle?

Stela is the lone survivor of a subway attack that killed her parents and the other passengers. She saw weird black smoke before the attack - was it a hallucination or is there something that her aunt Beatriz Bralaga needs to tell her?

This book was fun with interesting twists and turns and cool cursed characters.

#CastleOfTheCursed:

In all honesty, I wanted to DNF this several times. But, something in the back of my mind kept saying, “just wait and see what happens” so I never did. Do I regret it? No, it was an overall good read.

Estela becomes an orphan thanks to a black smoke. She’s the only survivor, and they don’t know why she did. She finds out her past was not what her parents said it was, and she’s off to meet her living relative in Spain. She lives in la Sombra, a beautiful gothic castle, where everything also is not what it seems. She needs real answers about the past before it catches up to her.

There’s a lot of back and forth between timelines and places and piecing things together from the past and present to make sense. It was choppy in a sense that I don’t think it flowed well to really give it the effect we needed for surprise. Also, the romance was.. different? I felt like it was very fast and it was a “oh, we’re in love now?” I just didn’t feel like it fit with the plot tbh.

Ana Osorio is such a good reader, I loved her narration. She just gets the vibe and does it right. She brought the soooky, the creepy, the unsettling perfectly.

Definitely a slow burn gothic horror, I still wouldn’t sleep on this one. It’s different from Garber’s previous work, and I loved her previous work. But different isn’t a bad thing. This was a lot darker, more menacing, and Garber masters that kind of writing for her readers to truly feel the horror. Out now!

I was provided an ARC & an ALC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Castle of the Cursed was a decent almost edge of your seat paranormal gothic romance. The spooky vibes are very much giving, but the romance just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Overall I enjoyed it but it wasn’t a standout for me.

Thank you to the author & NetGalley for the opportunity to read & listen early!

While I had mixed feelings about this book while reading it, but ended up liking it overall. I was really intrigued by the beginning which sets up a spooky event followed by our main character, Estela, moving to an even spookier castle. This had a great gothic horror/thriller/mystery setup. But then once we get to the castle I got a little lost in all the events. There was a lot going on that felt like they were all coming from different directions. While it was intentional, I wasn’t a fan of it. But it all came together in the end, which I then liked. It did make sense by the end and leading up to it, and at that point it pulled me back in.

Overall, this was an okay gothic story and I recommend if you like stories with a lot going on.

I'll be completely honest. I feel like this story became very convoluted by the end of it. I felt like the author just kept adding different tropes and by the end I almost couldn't tell you the main genre of this book. Was it a mystery? Was it a dark romance? I don't know. All I know is that by 60% I was really pushing myself not to DNF. I liked the first half. I was pretty enthralled by the mystery aspect of the book. What happened to Estella and everyone on the subway? What was the black smoke that killed everyone but her... but once she went to Spain and more mysteries were added... then the addition of a shadow daddy and their enemies to lovers romance... it just became weird. Then the ending... so predictable. It didn't need that. I don't know if there's going to be more to this story or not but I don't think I will be reading it if there is.

Romina Garber has become an auto read author since I discovered Lobizona, also her Hispanic roots. As a Latina myself I absolutely loved the Argentinian folklore that she weaves into her stories and that is just the cherry on top. Her writing is lovely. I loved the mystery and more on YA versions.

Castle of the Cursed is a YA fantasy gothic romance that sounds intriguing, but lost points on execution.

I love Gothic novels. I started reading them when I was 12 and have had a soft spot in my heart for them ever since. So, I came into Castle of the Cursed with high expectations. I finished it feeling ambivalent.

Author Romina Garber definitely gets the tone aspect of the genre, creating a setting that has you looking over your shoulder, even when you’re not sure why. There’s also lots of emotion and a romance. It’s just that not all of it fit together. And the romance element just didn’t work for me.

Garber’s pacing/structure could also have benefited from some reworking — there’s a big info dump that happens later in the book that feels just like an info dump for necessity’s sake.

Castle of the Cursed isn’t one of my top YA picks for the summer, but if you’ve got time, it makes for an interesting library read.

Gothic romance, mystery, secrets, vampires, what more could you want? While this book had some confusing and small moments that didn’t quite fit with the narrative, overall I was hooked and read this book in two sittings. Absolutely breathtaking ideas and the castle was everything my gothic loving heart needed and more. So many moments gave me chills and this book had the perfect amount of eerie, thriller, spooky without verging on true horror.
Highlights- the setting, the castle, the deeper themes and struggles woven throughout (many possible triggers so read warnings prior to reading). It was these deeper themes that really drew me in initially. The mystery element also gave a nice twist and helped engagement with the plot.
Lows- some of the relationships seemed to jump quickly and seem unlikely (ex B being super secretive to all of a sudden sharing everything). Also the romance just didn’t do it for me. Even though this is absolute fantasy/fiction I found not buy into the fact that someone would become blood bound/equivalent of married two weeks into a relationship that for half of the time was purely hateful. It felt too quick and rushed. I would have been content with this left out and the story moving forward in another way.
Overall, the highs far outweighed the lows on this gothic, eerie tale. And the ending…. What??!!!???

Estela is the soul survivor of a mysterious subway accident that claimed the lives of her parents and other passengers. Determined to find answers, but also struggling with survivors guilt, she decides to go to Europe to live with estranged family. As she starts to uncover her hidden past, the reasons her parents fled Spain, and the supernatural nature of the family castle, Estela also rediscovers her voice and love. Will she too fall to the curse of la Sombra?

This was a good gothic romantasy. The story quickly jumps from the subway tragedy into the mysterious and interesting world of la Sombra and the community of people that have molded to it needs for generations. There is an insta romance introduced fairly early on too. A few of the threads woven into the story were a bit abrupt or over the top but for the most part the novel cruises right along leaving you with good gothic style vibes. 3 stars.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for sending this digital Advanced Reader’s Copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book is and also isn’t what I thought it would be based on the description. The female lead goes through a lot of tragedy and is understandably distrustful of others, but there is one character to whom it seemed like an insta-trust and insta-love happened. The family secrets are buried deep and deeper in this story. There were times where I wasn’t totally sure the riddles you read throughout actually match what happened. However I was engaged along the way and interested to see how it ended. I am, however, confused if the very last section labeled 13 months later was actually supposed to be an alternate ending or an epilogue…

I loved the setting and the family secrets. The creepy dark gothic castle was a great setting for a family that is unwilling to share their knowledge with each other. I like Estela’s determination to solve the mystery even if her family is lying to her. I didn’t really like the romance and the epilogue made it worse. Maybe this kind of supernatural romance isn’t for me.
So if you like a dark gothic everyone is lying type book with some steamy romance, you might like this one. I would definitely recommend this for older YA readers only.

Castle of the Cursed definitely delivered on the Gothic setting, but it was hampered by tonal shifts that were abrupt. Estela's attraction to Sebastian eventually became more developed, but the scenes that hint at the steamy part of their budding relationship at first were so jarring. The first part of that relationship was extremely underdeveloped and it felt forced. I don't know how much pressure there is in the book world right now for everything to get steamier (the Maas effect?), but I think the book would have honestly been better with more authentic interactions between the two characters than the physical aspect played up so fast (binding her hands in rope, OK, that escalated fast...).
On the positive side, the plot about Estela's family and the conflict tying them to the castle and the magic behind the castle was excellent. I was reminded a little bit of Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

The castle atmosphere was perfect for a gothic fantasy and behaved like its own entity with wants and needs. Garber does a fantastic job at creating the vivid imagery of the rooms within in all their chilling glory.

Estela’s character was well done – her struggles after the accident that claimed her parents made her feel even more realistic. It was a constant struggle for her to get through her life, especially when she was thrown curveball after curveball. Sebastian & Estela’s relationship seemed slightly shallow to me – that’s not the appropriate word though, maybe lacking groundwork or a solid foundation to build on. They shared a lot of their life history with each other but, in my eyes, they didn’t spend enough time together to warrant the “I’m eternally yours” vibe. The supporting cast was also well done, but I wish we had more background with them.

"Grief is like climate change: the sobbing comes in cycles, bands of storms that roll in with little warning and uproot my thoughts."

The castle offered just enough shrouded mystery to ensnare family members who ceaselessly hunger for more – more wealth, more time, more knowledge, etc. It could give them what they’re looking for, all they have to do is pay the price. Only sometimes, the cost isn’t what they anticipated. I have never been a big fan of open-to-interpretation endings – if there isn’t a second book I would prefer it to be wrapped up (especially where the main characters are concerned).

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this spooky, twisty, and paranormal book from an author I am a fan of. I would have liked this one more had it been a duology instead of a stand-alone, it would have allowed more time to explore integral aspects of the book to a fuller extent. I recommend checking this one out – especially if you enjoy books with gothic romance & a castle hiding its hunger, as well as secrets.

Starts off with a bang and then some slow build up. Glad a stack with it. The second half of the book so much happens. Loved the lore the writer buildsup. Refreshing take on vampires. Did remind me of Stephen Kings Rose red and Henry James turn of the screw but in the best way. Enjoyed seeing the combination of a multiverse, curses and vampires all working together to tell this story. Loved the ending!

A big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spooky season is upon us!

Castle of the Cursed is a YA gothic fantasy novel about a girl just wanting to find out what happened to her mother. 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 feel like this book had a really cool concept, but really poor execution. Like I was expecting so many things to happen, and it just kinda flopped. But what are you going to do?

This was a dark tale about a creepy castle and family secrets. This one sucked me in quickly. I loved the different characters and the world building (without giving spoilers) was very interesting.

I received this as an arc from NetGalley. It's a little more fantasy than I'm used to reading. At first I thought it was going to be predictable but I ended up being sort of surprised. Creative.

The characters fell flat and the dynamics between them are missing a lot of crucial details. It doesn’t seem realistic that an immortal being would be in such a rush to get married. This is definitely more fantasy than gothic mystery. There’s no HEA. Just didn’t vibe with it at all.

Castle of the Cursed grabbed me from the first page and didn't let me go!!
The atmosphere and plot were 10/10, and the characters are so well written I felt like I was in the story along with them. When Estella arrives at La Sombra she begins to realize exactly how much her parents kept from her and she sets out on a mission to uncover every secret. She has the reluctant help of a man only she can see, well when he's not thinking/attempting to kill her. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from page one and took some surprising twists and turns that made me love the story even more!
This is the first book I've read by this author and I will definitely be checking out their other books!

Estela has lived her whole life mostly on the road around the United States with her parents, who both have jobs that involve travel. They are a happy, tight-knit unit. But her world is upended when a very strange incident occurs on the subway. Everyone but Estela dies. She is put in a government-funded mental health facility for a few months and then is sent to Spain.

Her aunt is the sole occupant of a centuries-old castle next to a small town. The Brálagas have always lived in the castle and have always had a close relationship with the citizens of the town.

In addition to its dark, gothic appearance and the name the villagers call it, La Sombra, the castle is home to many secrets.

Upon being deposited there with her aunt Beatriz, Estela immediately starts investigating. She has help from a young man in town, Felipe, who is helping her learn Spanish but also has a deep fascination with the history of the castle.

The strangest thing is that at night, Estela keeps running across a darkly handsome young man in the castle. But apparently, no one else can see him. Sebastián tells her he’s not from her world, but he just can’t remember much else: who he is or where he came from before he just appeared in this “dimension.” She does know that he is in some way connected to the mysterious deaths that happened on the subway and the reason she is now in Spain.

As Estela and Sebastián, as well as Felipe, piece together clues about the reality of the castle and its tie to the family and the townspeople, they have to figure out why strange things are happening right now. Someone caused the incident on the subway; someone brought Sebastián into this world. And someone is going after Estela. The danger keeps ramping up, and Estela has to figure out just what is going on and who is behind it to save herself, the town, and those she now cares about.

Castle of the Cursed is definitely a gothic tale, and the mysteries are what kept me hooked. I enjoyed the introduction of the various paranormal elements. However, I got to a point that I felt the story got pretty overblown. The romance, the true identity of Sebastián, the nature of the castle and its tie to the Brálagas… so much ended up being too melodramatic for my taste. The resolution and ending also didn’t quite work for me. Without writing any spoilers, it’s hard to say exactly why. However, if you love dramatic, telenovela-type gothic stories with sides of horror and a lot of blood, you will adore this.