Blackburn Castle

The book is full of surprises from the beginning to the very end. The involvement of witches and spells from the beginning is intriguing and the storyline is very well written. The love story between Mercy and Victor is a slowly developed story that keeps your attention. In the latter part a new character, who happens to be a vampire, only adds to the great storytelling abilities of the author. I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

I was completely taken by surprise by Blackburn Castle, as I knew it would be gothic but I hadn’t picked up on the paranormal aspect, and I was very pleasantly surprised. The first chapter was amazing and had me captivated until the end. It starts with Victor Blackburn as a 10 year old boy, who is forced to kill Mercy Limmerick’s mother, to save himself. The story quickly follows on nearly 17 years later to Victor is cursed to die a horrific death on his 27th birthday. He is trying to find Mercy, the witch who can reverse the curse but Mercy is not so forgiving. So Victor does all that he can to change his fate, kidnapping Mercy and taking her to Blackburn Castle. Ms Matthews weaves a magical tale, that is so fast paced, that I read this in one sitting. A great read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Blackburn Castle is book two in the Tortured Souls series by R.C. Matthews. It's a sweeping story with gothic elements and touches of the paranormal and magic. I enjoyed this one!

Victor Blackburn has a family curse which will cause him to die horrifically on his 27th birthday. The only way to save himself is to find Mercy Limmerick, a witch who can reverse the curse. The problem? Victor was forced to kill her mother.

Mercy waits anxiously for the day Victor will die and with him, the last of the Blackburns. She doesn't expect to fall for the man, however, or become embroiled in the history of the curse. Will she save him? Or will their past threaten the chance for a future?

I was really looking forward to the gothic atmosphere in this one. And it delivered! Victor's family home is mysterious and dark, and it was a game of Clue trying to figure out the workings of the curse. They have to find amber stones to set Victor free, but other twists and turns come about. The second half of this book was exciting and always kept me guessing.

Victor is a former pirate and his past is so sad! He's determined to break the curse, and he has such a formidable will that he ends up stealing Mercy away. With the help of love potions and serums, his fate becomes complicated as his morals are tested. Mercy has such a good head on her shoulders as well. She's intelligent and crafty, but slowly, she gets to know the man beneath the curse.

Anyone looking for a good paranormal tale should definitely give this one a try.

3.5 stars!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but after reading the blurb, I knew I wanted to read it. The book delivers on everything I hoped for - pirates, witches, curses, all-consuming guilt and forgiveness and love. Victor Blackburn is cursed and is destined to die an appalling death when he turns 27 unless he can find Mercy Seymour. She is a descendant of the Thorne family and the only one who can break the curse on the Blackburn men. Needless to say, Mercy has no intention of breaking the curse, but that doesn't stop Victor from kidnapping her and dragging her to Blackburn Castle.

Ms. Matthews elegantly teases out the details of what happened to Victor and Mercy when they were children and why Mercy is so ingrained in her hatred. There are quite a few twists and turns in the book that totally surprised me. Mercy's character is strong and spirited, but she's no match for Victor. He was raised by a ruthless pirate and he's hardened himself against everyone. Could Mercy be the one woman who could capture his heart? Can Mercy let go of the past and realize the future path that lay before them or will she hold onto past hurts and let a good man die? Recommended.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Great read I was hooked from beginning to end. This read transports to a world of castles, witches and magic. Victor is cursed to die and his only hope of surviving is to find a witch that has vanished. Mercy is Victor’s only hope; however, she can’t wait to see him die. Can he change her mind and get her to save him? This is a fast paced read with a great story and the chemistry between Victor and Mercy is wonderful. I loved it!

A fun and engaging and suspenseful historical paranormal read that will leave you spellbound and breathless
This is Victor and Mercy's story -
What could possibly go wrong for a Witch and a Pirate (I'm sorry a "Privateer") -
when said Witch absolutely loathes and counts down the days (literally) until said pirates death?
Or if let's say said pirate gets soo desperate he maybe, kind of, sort of kidnaps above-mentioned witch?