Wow! Pirates, kidnapping, a curse, and romance, all in one incredible story. When I read the synopsis, I couldn't wait to read this. Victor is a great bad boy pirate, but all he wants is the curse lifted from the male line. Mercy is the only one who wields the power to help him but refuses. Can Victor convince her to thaw her heart towards him? A beautiful romance that is perfect for those looking for a little something different in their reading material. Kudos to the author!

This is the first book I have read by R. C. Matthews but I was in no way disappointed. Blackburn Castle, book 2 of Tortured Souls Series, is a gothic sort of romance filled with curses, witches, passion, adventure, suspense, danger, disagreements, mystery, laughter, tenderness, strength, and eventually trust beyond question. This is dark paranormal romance filled with the characters journey of healing and forgiveness.

The Blackburn family has been cursed for years, in such a way that on the male’s 27th birthday, they will violently die. Victor Blackburn’s, a pirate, birthday is approaching and his only hope of survival is a witch who vanished long ago, leaving no trace.

The witch and spirited barkeeper’s niece, Mercy Seymour, is Blackburn’s enemy and she eagerly counts the days until her family’s death will be avenged and she can let go of the hatred and anger that fills her life.
Fate throws these together in Devil’s Cove and unexpected desire simmers until they learn the truth about each other. Victor grabs and spirits Mercy away to Blackburn Castle in the Scottish Highlands. While there, mists and magic from beyond the grave opens her eyes to the truth of the past.

When fate throws them together in Devil's Cove, desire simmers between the handsome pirate and the spirited barkeeper's niece until they learn the truth about each other. Desperate for her cooperation, Victor spirits her away to Blackburn Castle in the Scottish Highlands, where forces of magic and mists from beyond the grave weaken her resolve, opening her eyes to the truth of the past.

Victor and Mercy, needing to break the curse, unearth the fabled stones, and discover that the only weapon powerful enough to destroy hate is love. But will they have to sacrifice their relationship to save what means the most to them?

Although this book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story, as I did, I do recommend reading book one, Devil’s Cove first.

Not usually the type of book I read but this was very enjoyable.

From beginning to end, SPELLBINDING! It was like having a movie unfold in my mind. The author has this fantastic way of writing that captivates from page one then draws moving pictures inside your mind as the plot unfolds. A book with character and depth. One that has a complex plot that is understandable with truly enjoyable characters and a very horrible villain. A story that has magic and curses as well as romance and passion. From beginning to middle to end, A truly Fantastic read! I will not ruin this by writing spoilers, I can only say this is a book that is worth buying and a keeper! I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna

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?

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!

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!

Blackburn Castle is a good solid romance. Interesting plot. Excelling writing.

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.

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.