Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the eARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

Well-written, with dark suspense and vivid detail, I adored this spooky, bloodthirsty story. Estela is the sole survivor of a strange attack that took her own parent's lives. Her loss and guilt are written so poignantly, I felt that loss too. When she moves to Spain into an actual castle, albeit a very scary castle, she thinks the trauma she went through is finally making her lose her mind. She believes everyone is lying to her. There's a boy only she can see. And the house is somehow alive.

There are many plot twists in this novel and I only saw a few coming. Then there was a very BIG plot twist and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Without revealing any big spoilers, all I will say is don't trust anyone.

But I will also say that my favorite part of this book is the character development of Estela. Her internal struggles and growth in this are very relatable, even if her external circumstances are less realistic. The backdrop of the dark and gothic serves to intensify Estela's (and other characters) resilience and ultimately, the idea of hope.

I highly recommend this book and eagerly anticipate a sequel!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It took me awhile to get invested in this one. It’s marketed as an atmospheric paranormal romance and I would agree. It started out with such a wild mystery of Estela’s parents death. I was gobsmacked and dying to find out what happened. The excitement tapered off for a little bit but by midway through it picked back up.

I did have to translate a lot in this book, which is fine BUT I was listening to the audiobook and some sentences I was unsure what was being communicated because I was driving or unable to look it up. Not really a problem though.

I alternated between the audiobook and egalley of this book courtesy of the incredible publishers at Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio.

Thank you to Net Galley and Wednesday Books for the ARC. I don't know why I was so hesitant to start reading this one because I instantly fell in love with this book. The gothic vibes and cursed nature of the castle were everything. I loved the first half of this book, the darkness and the question of whether Estela is hallucinating everything was everything. And for once, I was creeped out, I was scared, I was nervous, and I was excited by the mystery. Estela had a lot of secrets to uncover. The second half was not bad, it's just that I liked the attraction part of the romance, but it was a bit simplistic compared to how complex and deep everything else was. Estela was such a great character and I loved her investigative nature, but the romance was quite juvenile and really took away from her character. I still liked it, I mean the love interest was hot, so at least that was there. Everything else was really really well done, so I don't mind too much, the prose was also beautiful.

4.75 rounded up

I was intrigued by the premise of this book. It sounded like it would be a gothic and creepy story and I couldn’t wait to read it. While I did love the gothic vibes in the story, there were too many teen angst, lovesick, instalove moments that made me cringe. I mean, the main character just met this guy less than 2 weeks ago and she’s already madly in love with him? It doesn’t make sense. I think I would’ve enjoyed this story more without the added romance.

I did love the setting of the story and I thought the mystery was intriguing. I also thought the ending was pretty good and I liked the author’s writing style.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book via NetGalley for review.

I love vampire books, and admittedly, I'm a lot more lenient with my book reviews when vampires are involved. They're my kryptonite. However, this book would be rated a lot higher if the FMC was a bit older. The age difference was Twilight-level cringe.

This work started off quite strongly. The setting and castle were written well, creating a strong and gloomy atmosphere that had me excited. There were also several spooky and mysterious things happening that kept me waiting to see what would happen next. By about halfway through, these elements had completely disappeared, including the atmosphere, which was massively disappointing. The work then took a weird, multi-dimensional turn that felt out of place and odd.

The characters were very YA. They fell into standard tropes without adding anything new or interesting to the mix. Unfortunately, there’s also a standard YA romance that is massively insta-love (13 days from not knowing each other to being the only thing worth living for). There were also some explicit on-page spicy scenes that felt out of place and added nothing positive to the read.

I did love how the author chose to end this one, but it and the strong beginning weren’t enough to save the other 80% of the book. Read this if you’re looking for an odd YA read with insta-love and standard characters. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work, which will be published July 30, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Mixed feelings on this one.
I loved the gothic elements, and the world Romina Garber constructs is dark and intriguing, but the story itself didn’t feel well executed.
And while I liked Estela and Sebastián, their romance was incredibly rushed and instalovey.
Overall, I don’t regret reading this, but I can safely say this one isn’t for everyone.
However, if you think you would enjoy a gothic romance mystery with supernatural elements and a vampire, you might want to check this one out.

This was definitely a unique take on the haunted house story, and I definitely enjoyed it! Estela finds herself shipped off to Spain, months after a terrible tragedy took the lives of her parents and everyone else who was on the subway with them- everyone, that is, except for Estela. She's obviously going through it- survivor's guilt, horrific grief, the unbearable pain of wondering if she could have somehow saved them. It's bad. But after a stint at an inpatient facility, apparently some long-lost family of her mother's is found- only, those folks are in Spain. And they live in a town that can best be described as... eerily unusual.

At the center of said town is the big ol' titular castle. And as the title also clues us into, there is something cursed going on. Estela's family isn't exactly giving her the warm fuzzies, despite the fact that she's been to hell and back, they just keep giving her vague warnings to basically tamp down her curiosity. It's as if they never encountered teens before, and think that "don't open any doors or investigate anything" won't just make her do the exact opposite.

But obviously she's going to dig, because who wouldn't? I would, and I am an old. So. The townspeople are also a little... different, so Estela is really unsure of who, if anyone, she can trust. There are a lot of great twists and turns, which I appreciated, but also some more introspective moments for Estela to try to figure things out. There is a romance, which did seem a bit insta-lovey to me, and is probably my only complaint. There are times it is quite dark, but there is also some humor to balance it out. Basically, another solid novel from Romina Garber!

Bottom Line: Creepy and dark, but with enough humor and heart to balance it out, this was an atmospheric adventure that I quite enjoyed!

I was initially drawn in by the mystery and gothic vibes. This book is a bit slow and then toward the end it starts to give more, which I think works well with the story in order to keep you interested. I was able to guess some of the plots because I start to jump to conclusions as soon as a little piece of information is given. I felt like the romance was a rushed and I wanted a bit more chemistry. The story did not go how I initially thought it was gonna go and I was shocked at some revelations. Sadly, it did not turn out to be a new favorite of mine. There were certain things I would have loved to happen differently.

This book is perfect for a fall/spooky season read. I wish I could have loved it more but I’m confident that other people will enjoy it.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I will not be rating or reviewing any St. Martin's Press titles until they address the racist comments one of their employees made in October. See @readersforaccountability on Instagram.

4.25 stars!!! I really enjoyed this book! It was a well done gothic romance that kept me turning the page over and over again! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an eARC! I really felt like I was able to completely immerse myself in this book and it was just so enjoyable to read!

2.5 stars

My main gripes with this book are all spoilers, which I try to leave out of reviews, so this will probably be short. Billed a gothic romance, this book follows Estela after the sudden and mysterious death of her parents as she's sent to Spain to live with an aunt she's never met in a castle rumored to be haunted. She meets a boy with silver eyes that no one else can see, and starts to wonder if her parents' death is connected to her family history and the castle.

The first ~70% of this book is quite slow, and then suddenly the last ~30% is so fast it's hard to keep up with what's going on and why. There are so many plot threads introduced at the end and only lightly explored that it's disorienting, and then wrapped up equally fast. I was also really not sold on the romance, it felt like it went from 0 to 100, and even more so once I realized that the events of the book all happened within TWO WEEKS. The FMC felt younger than 17 for a lot of the book in her thought processes and reactions, which is fine, but then when there were suddenly ~intimate~ scenes I felt a little weird reading them. One other issue, there is a lot of Spanish dialogue and text in this book, which makes sense since it takes place in Spain, but not all of it is translated to English. I think I pieced together what was being said well enough from context clues, but that was a bit of an annoyance. I think overall this was just not for me, but maybe a teen who's just getting into reading and fantasy might enjoy it more. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Castle of the Cursed
By Romina Garber
Publication Date: July 30, 2024

Okay, but the way the last page of this book left me aghast...

This is the perfect book if you're looking for a YA gothic fantasy with a creepy Spanish castle, spells and curses, vampires, and a paranormal romance. Castle of the Cursed had so many twists and turns that I didn't expect and a murder mystery that kept me guessing.

This story takes place in a creepy castle in Spain, and I really loved how Spanish dialogue was interwoven within characters' conversations, as well as the references to various Spanish foods like croquetas, tortilla de papas, gazpacho, and paella. It truly left my mouth watering and wishing I was back in Madrid.

Among the horror and gothic elements, the FMC is dealing the tragic loss of her parents, so please be aware that this book also tackles themes of depression, suicide, grief, and survivor's guilt.

Overall, I had a good time and I appreciate the ride this book took me on. I also have to admit that I agree with other early reviews that this book is a mix of Twilight and telenovela vibes, so pick this up if that feels intriguing to you.

Thank you @Netgalley and @Wednesdaybooks for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

3.5 / 5.0

Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber has intense gothic vibes and sets a spectacular scene. The cast of characters are mysterious but do not feel grounded in the plot. I enjoyed the writing in this and how the story developed, but the ending felt weak and then outright goofy.

Overall, it is a good read and not too extreme though there are significant trigger warnings. Be advised before reading.

Until Next Time,
MC

Castle of the Cursed is the first book I’ve read by Romina Garber, and I’m so glad I buddy read it with Leah @ Leah’s Books because we had a great time analyzing the characters, making predictions, and talking about the author’s amazing writing style.

The story is a suspenseful and mysterious Gothic romantasy that follows Estela, who journeys to her family’s castle after the tragic death of her parents. I loved the Gothic vibes and the mystery surrounding the castle, the town, and her family. La Sombra isn’t just a castle. It becomes a character itself, and the sinister secrets it holds are fascinating. I think I found La Sombra almost as intriguing as the characters and love how immersive the setting is. The imagery and figurative language create a dark and atmospheric backdrop for the story.

Almost as mysterious as La Sombra is one of its inhabitants. Sebastián is trapped at La Sombra and can’t remember his life before waking up there. He’s a mysterious shadow who spent all his time alone until Estela arrives. He has an interesting and brutal backstory, but losing his memory, spending so much time alone, and developing a relationship with Estela allows us to see a softer, more vulnerable side to him, a side Sebastián never knew existed.

Estela is a fascinating protagonist as are some of the secondary characters, especially her aunt and her new friend Felipe. I love how the author created such unique and layered characters, each with their own compelling story to tell. As Estela works to figure out the mystery surrounding her parent’s death and break the curse that has plagued her family for generations, she also learns about the townspeople, her childhood, and more. Garber makes good use of flashbacks, and those, as well as the many twists and turns, kept me guessing and invested in Estela’s story.

Like the characters, this story has a lot of layers, and just when I thought I knew where the plot was headed, it went in a direction I totally didn’t expect. It definitely kept me on my toes and made for a fun buddy read. A mesh of Gothic mystery and paranormal romance, it’s an immersive, suspenseful, and unique story. Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This was an interesting book but I ended up DNF at 25%. I found this book needed a more thorough list of trigger warnings.

Estela and her parents (her father especially) like to play Sherlock and Watson until one day, Estela's entire life changes. Facing intense survivor's guilt and PTSD, Estela is rescued from the mental hospital by an aunt she didn't even know about and is whisked away to the titular castle, La Sombra in Spain.

Her aunt is strange, the town is strange and the castle is stranger yet. Her aunt, the town doctor, is cold and distant and seems less than thrilled to be saddled with a teenager. She leaves Estela with one rule : no one is allowed inside the castle. She also wants her to take Spanish language classes with a young man in town. However, it doesn't take long for the supernatural to begin to happen especially with the appearance of Sebastian.

The love triangle potential ends rather quickly (by someone being a creep) and honestly if there was something that didn't work for me it was the romance. I hate insta-love and this whole thing takes I think two weeks and the almost sex scenes seemed forced and in weird places plot wise, like why would anyone stop for sex at this juncture outside of a schlocky slasher fic plot?

I will give it that it has a creative take on the whole vampire prince trope. There were twists and turns I didn't expect and I did like Estela for the most part. She has a lot of flaws but someone that young having so much life changing crap happening, you can forgive her those issues. At about the 50% mark the big twists start happening and that's about all I want to say about those.

I enjoyed this and would look for more by this author.

I wanted a dark, gothic, Spanish-inspired fantasy tale... and unfortunately this did not deliver.

The initial mystery was very compelling - Estela is the sole survivor of a subway tragedy, and an estranged aunt invites her to live with her in their family's ancestral castle in Spain.

From there, the plot goes in so many directions, and none of it felt like it actually worked together. A sentient monster castle, family secrets, a boy only Estela can see, magic, witches, AND SO MUCH MORE THAN DID NOT MAKE SENSE.

The romance was weird and based on, let's face it, very little.

This is a book that I rage read, and I regret everything. Two stars for the use of Castellano Spanish and the description of Spanish foods.

⭐️⭐️
Genre: Gothic Urban Fantasy
Age Level: Upper YA
Content: heavy makeouts, brief/mild open door

I think this book is having a bit of an identity crisis…and I have no idea how to rate it because of this. But I audibly snorted far too many times to rate it above 2.5 stars, so that’s where I’ve landed.

From the book synopsis, I went into the story expecting something with Starling House gothic horror spooky-killer-house vibes, but soon realized this was to be more of an over-the-top telenovela mashed with Twilight vampire love and Dark Shadows camp.

With the serious overtones of the first couple of chapters (along with the trigger warnings) it took me a hot minute to realize what the book was trying to do - and this really took away from the story for me. I couldn’t tell if it was trying to be serious or campy. It missed the mark for me with the whiplash of “wait, what?”

Unfortunately the pacing is off. The age of the characters honestly feels bizarre. And the romance was so so very flat.

It also seems to bounce genres from a gothic fantasy, to campy horror to science fiction? I think this can be done, but unfortunately here it feels like it all got away from the author and the plot doesn’t make sense in the end.

Hopefully it finds its audience, but I think the summary and promotion could use a tweak to help with that search.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. DNF 23%. I really had a rough time with this one. The narrator was good but she had some interesting narration choices that I didn’t love. This was a lot darker than I thought it would be from the description and the list of trigger warnings is definitely necessary. I thought we were just having a fun gothic romance with a castle but it’s a bit creepy and dark which I wasn’t expecting. The main character is badly depressed which is understandable after your parents died but gosh it was a downer. When you aren’t expecting that it’s hard to get through 😂 I didn’t like where the romance was going at all. This book clearly just wasn’t for me. The castle was cool and I enjoyed that Spanish was used and not always explained. Besides that I didn’t enjoy it 😂