I was intrigued with this storyline and the cover is just beautiful. However, once I started it was difficult to keep my attention.
The setting was creatively descriptive. I loved the spooky aspect the best. I think there could have been a bit more emotional connection between the love interests, it seems they fell in love too fast for my taste. I enjoyed the read, thank you!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Castle Bridge Media for allowing me to read Ghosts of the Forbidden (Glazier's Gap Book 1) by Leanna Renee Hieber.

The Story is about a girl coming to an old house to join different authors writing their stories.
When she notices that she can see a ghost the others can't see, she starts investigating. Suddenly bad things happen and it's on her to safe the people she got to know and loves as she dives deep into a story that is also hers.

I really liked the synopsis because I really love paranormal love stories. Sadly, I didn't feel like the story was well developed. I sometimes felt like the author just made things up and decided that they work in her book when they don't make much sense to everyone else.
I enjoyed reading the book anyways. :)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Leanna Renee Hieber for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Ghosts of the Forbidden, coming out October 11, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

35 year old writer Lillian Anders is recently unemployed. She receives the opportunity to go to Glazier's Gap for a writer's conference hosted by a reviving Gothic romance publisher. She immediately finds herself in her own Gothic novel when a ghost, William appears to her in her dreams and at the Victorian mansion.

Journalist Nathaniel Lynd arrives at the mansion. Lillian senses something familiar about him. It also helps that he’s extremely charming. He and Lillian connect immediately as intimate memories surface from the past. Dark forces that killed star-crossed lovers in the Victorian era seek to harm Lillian and Nathaniel. Can they band together to stop it?

I loved everything about this story! this story! It was concise and fun. It was fast paced and interesting. It had all of my favorite things! Creepy mansion, Victorian era ghosts, history, paranormal romance, etc!

I connected a lot with Lillian. I loved her love of Jane Eyre. She was invested in finding out what happened to William and Camille. I loved her relationship with Nathaniel. I also really love books that explore the idea of reincarnation. I wouldn’t change anything about it, except maybe a little more of all of it. I think Nathaniel could’ve used a little more backstory, but I loved it. I’m excited to read more from this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone interested stories about old, dark houses and ghosts from the past.

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Castle Bridge Media and Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

FLEW through this excellent, incredible book. Tightly written, earnest, eerie and creepy—one of the best page-turning books I've read in ages.

I adored all the characters and the atmosphere so much and I hope the author continues putting out more books like this!

Leanna Renee Heiber is a talented writer and I always enjoy her ghost stories. She has a knack for turning the terrifying into a wicked, beautiful romance. So when I ran across the opportunity to review her new book "Ghosts of the Forbidden: Glazier's Gap Book 1" on Netgalley.com I clicked "yes!".


"Ghosts of the Forbidden: Glazier's Gap Book 1" will be released on Oct. 11, 2022 but you can preorder a copy on Amazon or any other major book seller website or bookstore. The story follows the main character Lillian as she leaves for Glazier's Gap, Colorado to work for a reestablished publishing company on a writer's retreat. While there she encounters a ghost who claims that she is the reincarnation of his past lover.

Heiber did a wonderful job combining an old lover's reunion with a new romance experience within the same individuals, which may seem confusing but you'll need to read the story to completely understand. Keep in mind we are talking about ghost. possessions, and alternative universes.

I would love to visit Glazier Gap, since I love to visit haunted towns, buildings, and mansions. Unfortunately, this place, according to my extensive search, is fictional but does remind me of other buildings and places known for hauntings in Colorado, such as the famous Stanley Hotel in Estates Park, Co. from The Shining.

If you are looking for a ghostly, romantic mystery this Halloween be sure to order your copy of "Ghosts of the Forbidden: Glazier's Gap Book 1". It won't disappoint!

#GhostsoftheForbiddenGlaziersGapBook1 #NetGalley #leannareneeheiber

Thank you to net-galley for providing the arc.

The premise was really nice, and the blurb was what intrigued me to try this book out. Unfortunately, I wasn't fully satisfied. The setting and mood of the book was excellent. I feel like the author managed to capture the eery gloominess of the Glazier Gap. This felt like a gothic romance. Sadly it's the 'romance' part that fell extremely flat. The characters were not fleshed out and the dialogues were clunky and unnatural. The plot and the interactions felt very artificial. I didn't mind the insta-love too much, but the author should have tried to convince us more how Lillian understood him as her lover, and why she wasn't scared, especially since he was a ghost from the 1800s. It was a relatively short book. A little bit more time could have been spent to expand the world and characters a bit more.

The book cover is absolutely stunning and is what drew me in! This was my first gothic romance book & I found the story to be quite interesting but not entirely for me.

Thank you to Castle Bridge Media for the advanced copy💚

A fun, modern Gothic Romance. Ghosts, forbidden love, mystery, and suspense. I couldn't put it down! The main character is extremely likeable, and there is a diverse supporting cast. Dark Shadows (the show not the movie) vibes abound. Highly Recommended. Looking forward to more books in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Castle Bridge Media for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This has all the things I like. Ghosts, Gothic architecture and theme, and a writer MC.

I thought the storyline was really fun and interesting, although it left me wanting more! I wish I could go write in Glazier's Gap, I bet it would be rife with inspiration. I really enjoyed the overall aesthetic of the manor and town surrounding (even if I wish we knew more about it).

The reason I rated this 3 stars is because I found the writing to be a bit choppy and verbose which made it hard for me to follow.

However, I found it to be quite enjoyable! This will be out October 11th!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc copy of this book.

I picked this up because of both the cover and description. I am looking forward to reading more horror, mystery, gothic book, and this just fit my wants for something to add to my tbr, minus the romance. I'm not really into romance, but I thought I'd give it a chance because we follow here a writer and a journalist AND books about books and libraries and authors and publishing houses are <3. I was expecting book mentions and aaaaah! Thanks so much, Hieber!

Let me share what I loved and not-so-much about the different parts of the books and my reading experience:

Concept:
✓ - Writers. Retreat. Mystery. History. And how these things affect us in our modern or current "now". These are always interesting for me.
✗ - I feel like the author can do better on how they execute the overall concept. The mystery was there, check. The love was there, check. The history was there, check. But there's no scare. I honestly won't categorize this as a horror book if not for the mention of a [hot] ghost and a witch. Also, some parts of the book felt like they were just there but didn't add value nor substance to the story. I might be missing the point/s or what the author wanted to tell me, but that's exactly why it didn't add value to me as a reader - they're not catchy enough for me to connect them to what is actually currently happening during those scenario/s, I couldn't connect them to the plot.

Setting:
✓ - I love that the setting was well-described to my mind that I can actually see and feel the eerie vibe. Love that the author used more than one setting to compare the vibes and linking them to the plot.

Characters:
✗ - Ooh this is tricky, I've thought a lot about whether or not to put a check on this but I just can't think of anything to love about the characters. I understand we have different perspectives on everything including how we look or feel about a fictional character, so don't hate me for not loving anyone here. I just don't get their priorities sometimes and it's confusing, and basically the main reason why it took me so long to finish reading the book.

I am not a big fan of romance, but I do appreciate good story-telling. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the experience so much, but will I read the next book in the series? YES. I'd love to witness the development on the execution and characterization in book two.

I was a little hesitant when I first started reading this book, but quickly became enthralled with the plot. I wish it was a bit longer and had more character building, but ultimately, this was still a good story. I’m interested to see what the other stories will be (assuming this is a series by the Glazier’s Gap #1 in the title).

I was given an advanced e-book to read and review voluntarily and honestly from the publisher and NetGalley.

**Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.**

First what I liked: The descriptions of buildings and the town were amazing. I felt like I was there and could easily imagine the mansions, as well as every other setting. I adored the plot of second chance love and past lives coming together later in the future. I also loved the paranormal aspect of curses and ghosts.

What I didn’t like: The dialogue was so clunky and awkward at times. The characters didn’t act normal in certain situations and everyone was way too willing to accept what was happening between Lillian and Nathaniel. It just didn’t feel realistic whatsoever that Lillian could tell everyone that, crazily enough, she’s found a past lover from the 1800s and everyone just sort of blindly agreed and didn’t think she was nuts. I also thought Lillian and Nathaniel were too willing to accept it and there wasn’t ANY conflict surrounding that. It just felt rushed, especially considering Nathaniel didn’t come into the story until past 50% through the book.

Overall I did enjoy the book, but I’m not sure I’d read any additional books in the series.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4779836770

Points > Paragraphs

Overall 3.5
Spice 1


• Gothic Lite
• Short & Very Fast-Paced
• Ghost Story Meets Romance
• Simple yet Effective Writing Style
• 70s gothic-inspired
• Women Running from Houses Trope
• Star-crossed Lovers
• Fated Love
• Past Lives
• love at First Sight. (Not a fan)
• First Book of Unfinished Series
• Will be on KU

Thank you to NetGalley and Castle Bridge Media for an ARC copy of Ghosts of the Forbidden (Glazier's Gap Book 1) by Leanna Renee Hieber. Conceptually this book was amazing. A gothic past life love story with a ghostly twist? Sign me up! However, the execution just wasn't for me personally. I thought the “love at first sight” trope was too cliché but, in all honesty, I rarely, if ever, resonate with that trope. So, if it’s one of your favorites then I think you might enjoy this. Also, some of the themes felt VERY forced fed to the reader (another pet peeve of mine.) Overall, this was a short gothic lite fantasy with plenty of love and just enough spooky.

• Review will be posted on Amazon GoodReads StoryGraph during the following window: 10/3-10/11
• A release day post will go live on 10/11 on Instagram

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Even when the premise of the book called my attention and the book cover is STUNNING, I knew this wasn't going to be for me, still wanted to give it a chance. It's my first time reading gothic romance, and I felt like it missed that eerie something. also the insta love of the MCs didn't help.

A short summary of my other two reviews both on Instagram and Goodreads:
This book has potential with the plot and setting, but the characters had no emotional depth and seemed incredibly flat.
I loved the paranormal atmosphere and how the present time was intertwined with the past, and adored the history behind the town and previous relationship between William and Camille. The only downside is that the story was rushed heavily.
Despite the odds, it was a very fun read and I’m quite interested to see where the adventures in Glazier’s Gap goes next!

I am a fan of gothic novels so when a read that this is a gothic romance I was like GIVE IT TO ME. It didn't disappoint.

I really enjoyed de romance and the characters in this book but the writing felt flat. Too many dialogues and too little explanation of the surroundings. The pacing of the story was great.

It was a quick read and even though there is not much of emotional depth, I think it is an enjoyable book.

Gothic romance is such a fun genre of romance. This book is definitely for those of us who love the dramatic and creepy scenes that give you goosebumps. I adored how this author gave such a wonderfully modern spin on a classic romantic subgenre.

Lillian definitely puts the Goth in Gothic (which honestly is pretty unusual in romancelandia). She's a great lover of history and all things gothic. At the start of the book she has broken up with her boyfriend and lost her job all in a single day. This sets her up to take advantage of an opportunity to visit a town in Colorado and participate in a writers retreat for the restart of a gothic romance press. When she arrives, and even before, a very supernatural connection to the town and things that happened there becomes very apparent.

It turns out Lillian has the memories and very closely resembles a girl in a real life tragic love story. Arriving in Glazier's Gap seems to activate those memories and maybe open the door for some way scarier things. Overall, I loved the spookiness of the book and the modern twist on classic gothic romance. I didn't love that we didn't meet the hero - at least not the actual, current version of the hero until past the 50% mark of the book. I know there was a lot to get through - but I felt shortchanged in the romance angle of the book.

I still really liked it and I think it is a great introduction to the genre!

I received this via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.

I am constantly looking for new gothic novels to recommend to people who aren't very familiar with the genre, or better yet, have a totally different perception of what it means to be a gothic novel. This book will be a great addition to the very few that I can say are truly gothic novels. Old school and contemporary at the same time it will be great to hand sell.

Could not get into it at all. For a book that was supposed to feel like a mystery this one surely spelled out a lot for readers. No connection to characters at all.