This book follows Estela through some traumatic points in her life, and as she makes some choices to try and reclaim parts of her life and connect to her past as she works through the grief of having lost her parents. (I'm avoiding spoilers so this description is very vague)

It's difficult for me to rate this book fairly, but I will endeavor to do so. As an adult in the place that I am, I did not enjoy this book. The biggest reveal for me was that Estrela was turning 18, as at some point in the book she shifted to being 14 in my mind. Some of the twists were well executed and I enjoyed them, but I just found that the book was written in such a fast paced way while holding your hand that the payoff wasn't there for me.

I think this book would have benefitted from slowing down to earn the relationship building and drama. Had I read closer to thirteen I would have given this four stars, it fits the bills for a lot of things I loved at that age and the hand holding would not have been as noticeable for me.

Ultimately this is not a bad book, but it has scenes to make it feel older while being written to skew younger YA.

I feel like all I really need to say to convince you to read this book is: Shadow Male
A new and fresh take on gothic fantasy with other worlds, bruja (witches) and bleeders (vampires).
When Estela arrives at her family's castle after the loss of her parents, she's quick to note that this little town has the vibe of a cult built around her family name. Within the walls of the castle she meets Sebastian, who is certain that she has cursed him, while outside the castle she bonds with Felipe, who is determined to belong to the castle. Who can she trust, when even her memories aren't her own?
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, 3.5*

What's the horror version of Romantasy? Romorror? Horantasy? Either way, this novel fits that description for better or worse. The pieces I enjoyed most were atmospheric: the vibes of la Sombra and Garber's efforts to build tension and mystique. However, I couldn't bring myself to care much for the characters, and found the protagonist's initial circumstances unbelievable to a degree that took me out of the story. Despite spending some time focusing on Estela's trauma and grief, I didn't feel that it was given nearly as much space as soon as the romantic elements took center stage. Speaking of, the "romance" was rushed and to market it as enemies to lovers feels a bit silly when the pair start out as strangers who fall "in love" within days of meeting each other. I can't even blame this on genre convention as I've seen plenty of other YA stories include romance to superior effect. All in all, a story that leaned heavily into concept without a true ability to execute.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc! Just like they taught you in English class, a good hook will hook you from the start and that's exactly what happened here. Our protagonist, Estela, is likeable except when she's being crazy because she's lonely. But we've all been there Tela it's okay. The romance was very fast but I liked it anyways. There's a lot of Spanish in this book, as it takes place mainly in Spain, but everything in Spanish is translated to English so I really appreciate that (I did check with Google translate lol). The writing I love so much. There were so many bad guys that I wasnt expecting the main bad guy to be the bad guy you know. So many twists. This one kept my interest and I can't wait to buy it when it comes out! We love Sebastian and poor Tela. I kinda hope for a sequel!

I love the setting in this book. I love the castle and the village.
I just could not stay focused after the 35% mark. It was likely just not the book for me.

I love love love everything Romina Garber writes! Lobizona and Cazadora were stories i kept close to my heart and passed down to my younger nieces to read. There is a lot for us to relate to, the language, the traditions, the characters, i adore her books. While Castle of the Cursed had a different twist to it, i enjoyed it just as much! Definitely set the dark and moody with this one here. From the MC, relationships and burjerias along the way, i was here for all of it! Thank you for the ARC!

I blew through this captivating gothic noir. Thrilling and suspenseful plot, perfectly paced, and chock full of supernatural magic and family betrayal. One of my favorite elements I was surprised to see in the novel was the dark romance, but l assure you it's safe for non-spicy readers!

Is love stronger then magic… this novel is different from anything that I’ve read. A dark fairytale, magic, strange beings. I loved it from the first few pages. Binge read it and the ending didn’t disappoint.

A twisting dark, mysterious tale that captivated me with every new turn and element. Estela is a smart protagonist who navigated a new world filled with family secrets with a steadfast attitude.

Solid YA paranormal gothic romance. This was a quick read with a story that flows nicely. Characters and plot were entertaining and the magic aspects and gothic vibes were a nice addition. I think the romance aspects and timeline were a bit rushed and could've been fleshed out more. Overall, I'd give another book by this author a go.

Thank you for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to the eARC!

I am a lover of gothic fiction above anything else, and had high hopes for this book after reading the description. I was a big fan of the setting, and the creepy nature of not only the mansion but the village living in its shadow. The characters aside from our main character felt like they were creepy and i got the sense they were hiding something almost from the get, which really added to the atmosphere of the story. And I was really enjoying it until about the the 60% mark, when it seemed to confuse several plot lines together, and eventually became a kind of muddled mess it was hard to follow along.

A gothic horror novel with a dash of romance.
A castle that holds secrets of generations. A family that holds a towns power in its hands. If you like a gothic supernatural feel this book is worth the shot for you

Oof. I hate having to write bad reviews, but I honestly feel like I'm being generous with my 2-star review here.

"Castle of the Cursed" started out fairly strong, but by the 35% mark, I was already considering DNF-ing it (which I very, VERY rarely do), and that feeling only intensified as I kept reading. I trudged on, though, because as an ARC reviewer, I felt like I owed it to the author to see if the story improved before I gave up on it. (Spoiler alert: it did not.)

The plot is super jumpy and disjointed, and the twists feel like they're way out of left field, even for a story that's driven by the supernatural. The characters were flat, the dialogue was unnatural, and the insta-love from multiple characters was just too much for me.

I'm sure this book will find its audience, but sadly, it was not for me.

Well, the author said it was gothic, so: alternate dimensions, blood, curses, cursed castle, castle/garden that lives on blood, family, vampires, vampire prince who falls for teen protagonist, teen protagonist who falls in love with said vampire, mysterious relatives, twins and secret twins, dead twins, twin magic, magic, spells, spellbooks, journals, secret rooms, forbidden parts of the castle, weird foods, early deaths, possession, convoluted plot and "rules," isolated city, weird inhabitants, strange power relationships (did I mention the vampire and the teen protagonist), Spanish lessons, sexual assault, self-harm, attenpted murder, sudden language re-acquisition, fire, trapdoors, towers, tower libraries, teen protagonist who becomes a serial killer (but only of "bad" people), much, much, too much more. The action is forced and poorly paced, the characters are all cut-outs and stereotypes, not everything makes any sense, This feels like it was rushed in the writing and hasn't had any revision or editing yet. Maybe it'll get some of that and become better, but as it is, yikes, what a mess, do not approach vampires, do not take spellbooks, do not pass go, do not read this one.

Castle of the Cursed really hits the mark as a gothic story. There are ghosts, forbidden blood magics, and many secrets within the old castle that has been passed down through one family for hundreds of years. Garber gave a unique spin on narration as she wove in the past and present in unique formats. She unraveled information only the moment it was necessarily, which kept me on my toes. She wrote an interesting main character, and I felt like I was really in the small Spanish town.

One problem I had is with one of the main characters, the "boy" referenced in the synopsis. If he wasn't mentioned as a boy, I never would have guessed it. Very little information was given about his appearance, and he gave off a very strong vibe of being alive much longer than our main heroine has been alive. This wasn't a major deal, but it was still enough that threw me off.

Another problem -- much larger this time -- is the plot. While the first 50% kept me utterly captivated, around 50% it started falling apart a little, and by 60% there was a huge pivot that was very off-putting. It very sudden and out of place, and I didn't necessarily enjoy where the story turned to. It did help answer questions about the plot, but it was just too out-there for me.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a gothic read and stories with huge plot twists. There is no spice, so I'd recommend to any age group. Overall a 3-star read for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

I was intrigued from the moment I requested this book! The cover is beautiful, and the premise sounded right up my alley.

From the start, I found the book to be a little slow in its development and setup, which is ok, but I ultimately struggled to develop a connection to the characters. I just didn't care about any of them. I think part of the problem was the slow setup considering the short length of the book, and had it been longer, the appropriate character development may have taken place to make me form deeper attachments to Estela and Sebastian.

I had a difficult time wanting to pick this up off my side table, and when I did, my mind was wandering. It fell short of the supernatural ya gothic thriller that I had hoped for, and I'm so sad it just wasn't for me!

From the author of Lobizona comes a great start to a supernatural thriller/mystery perfect for readers who enjoy following a teen character who has lost everything and moves to a completely different environment, usually a haunted or strange mysterious house. In this case, it's an amazing Castle/Mansion in Spain and she is going to learn more about her family's past. The author builds more and more, giving us more twists and information that keep us turning the pages. Vampires included. It has a peculiar vibe that I haven't seen much in recent books and that makes it a compelling read with a bit of love interest. I enjoy this author's style.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this e-arc.

Book: Castle of the Cursed
Author: Romina Garber
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I want to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC. I went back and forth on my rating for this one. I really enjoyed it, but I found the back half not as engaging as the first half. I do get the mixed reviews. In the end, though, I decided that I liked more things about this book than things I did not.

In this one, we follow Estela who has just lost everything. Her parents were the only world that she knew and they had just been killed in an attack. The press and authorities say that it was a gas leak, but it doesn’t make sense to her. If it was a gas leak, then how is she still alive? It is treated as a miracle. She is sent to Spain to live with an aunt who she didn’t know existed. Oh, the aunt has a castle. She finds herself in a country with someone she doesn’t know and doesn’t speak the language. La Sombra, the castle, has its own secrets. There are places that Estela can’t go and there are things that she is not supposed to see. Yet, there they are in front of and she has this sinking feeling that she is the only one who knows they are there. As she gets deeper into the castle, she learns that all families have secrets and that some of them are much darker than what you think.

I loved the setting of this book. I found myself transported right into the mystery and lore of La Sombra. It’s dark. Its gothic. This is not something for marketing, but it’s true. You are taken into this dark and unknown world. Shadows come to life. Blood is needed. Everyone has something to hide. Romina has brought all of this to life. its dark. Plus, I love how the Spanish culture is woven in throughout the story. It adds so much to the atmosphere. There is this sense of sombre and darkness, but there is hope. There is friendships and a bit of romance. Everything is presented in a way that makes the story good. It adds so much to the world.

The plot is very complex, which surprised me. The book isn’t very long and I was not expecting to have so much woven into it. We have Estela who must start over. I thought that was what this book was going to be. It was going to be about her building a life in Spain with some supernatural elements woven it. I was wrong. I liked the direction the book went though. We have the whole moving on thing, friendship, and romance. There are also dark family secrets. We have vampires, shadows, and more. The deeper I got into the book, the more I realized just how much everything made sense. Those little details add so much to the book. The pacing was solid. However, there were times that I felt like there was too much going on and I found myself being pulled out of the story. I noticed this more on the back half of the book, but that’s probably a me thing.

I thought the characters were well done. I have read many young adult books where it felt like certain characters just existed for the sake of having something to move the main characters. I did not get that here. We do have a lot of characters, but it felt like each of them had a role to play in the events and each added something to the book. I also felt like that each character had their own voice and had development that made sense to their goals.

I want to say more about this book, but I feel like I can’t because of spoilers. There are so many things that hooked me here, but there were some things that I did not like as much.

This book comes out on July 30, 2024.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/nAwt5JIGLMA

dnf @ 56%

This book had a lot of promise but unfortunately let me down. The summary made it seem like it would be a YA mystery/thriller set in a gothic mansion with a little bit of supernatural sprinkled in. What I read ended up feeling more like a fantasy towards the end and I was very confused with where the story was going. The characters fell flat for me and the romance made me cringe multiple times. While I wanted to finish this and see how it ends, I found myself wishing it was over so I ultimately decided to dnf.

I was transported into a gothic world in Romina Garber's "Castle of the Cursed". The book is full of creepy gothic goodness, and the twists and turns that had me guessing up until the very end. The story had me so riveted I could not put it down, so I stayed up all night reading!