Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Castle of the Cursed was SO. GOOD. I loved this way more than I was ever expecting to. I loved the mystery (didn't expect that ending??) and the atmosphere was so well formed. I really felt immersed in the story, I can't wait to reread when I get my hands on a physical copy. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

This story was a lot of fun to read. Although not typically a fan of YA, the story was less a coming of age story and more of a surreal mystery involving magic, vampires, and nefarious intentions. Enjoyed every second. 10/10 no notes

I really enjoyed the writing of this book, but ultimately it was difficult for me to get through because of the dark content. I liked the main character but I felt like she was written kind of young even though she's supposed to be almost 18. The setting was really interesting but I think the plot fell apart a little after the halfway point.

This new YA book is set to release at the end of next month. I could not stop reading until I finished it.

The story is set in modern time and the main character Estela losses both of her parents in a mysterious way. After months in a psych ward, she is invited to Spain to live with her aunt in a a castle.

While there, Estela comes across strange things and people. She soon realizes that the castle is actually alive and she was brought to it for a reason.

Now I need to know-is it a series or was this all we are getting. So so good!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Romina Garber for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Castle of the Cursed coming out June 30, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a really fun read. I still love vampire stories after reading hundreds of them. I think the first half of this book was fun and mysterious. It starts off with a bang! I thought the set up getting Estela to the castle in Spain was really interesting and sad. The second half of the book went in a direction I wasn’t really expecting. I loved all the mysteriousness of the town and castle. I loved the Spanish history thrown in and I think it adds a lot to the story. I thought this was more of a book for teens, but I think some of the themes are a little more mature. I wasn’t expecting some things that happened between Estela and Sebastián. But overall, I enjoyed the book and would definitely check out other books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves vampire stories!

♡𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 &| 𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
3.5 🌟
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𝑰𝒇 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝑴𝑬! This cover is just gorgeous 😍 to me! The cover peaked my interest, and I'm happy it did.
The audiobook production did a good job. The narrator, Ana Osorio, did a phenomenal job. This is mostly 90% in English and 10% Spanish! Ana did a phenomenal job translating and switching languages. Highly enjoyed the audiobook.
The storyline itself could be a little confusing because in the beginning the language switches between English and Spanish and if you don't understand spanish it could be a little difficult which I think the audiobook is a great additional to the book. It's also a slow-medium pace and could be a little dragging, but once you hit 50% of the book, the speed pick up and increased my interest in the book. I do recommend if you enjoy gothic ya romance.
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𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•duel timeline (past and present)
•gothic YA
•YA romance
•hidden secrets
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :
•grief
•mental health issues
•death of a parent
•suicide
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𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 July.30
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Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for the (ALC)-audiobook and St.Martin Press for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

Castle of the Cursed is a dark gothic romance story that is filled with family secrets, fantastical happenings, and a complex storyline. This atmospheric story is twisty with many threads that need to be pulled to understand the scope of what is happening at Castle la Sombra. Even once I understood who the family was and their connection to the Castle, there was a lot to unravel. The author does not let up from the start. There are monsters, secrets, magic, and a dark family history. I could feel our female character, Estela's, emotions deeply. Her connection with Bastian and their need to work together to save more than just themselves was another nice layer that created tension in an already tense setting.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest reivew.

The first few chapters drew me in and had me quickly reading for more. The descriptions of the castle were incredible, making the castle itself feel like a character. Then it felt like way too many things were thrown into the mix. Did we have an unreliable narrator? Cursed castles or vampires? Blood magic or dimensions? Also there was such a huge case of instalove.
The atmosphere and descriptions throughout were great but just a case of too much for 1 story.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the free copy for review.

This was a great young adult gothic fantasy! I was immediately captivated by the author’s writing and the overall storyline of this book. This was such an original story that held my attention from start to finish. This book had a great atmospheric setting and some good plot twists. Overall this was a wonderful young adult read.

Heads up that this book does have content warnings.

The stone walls kept the cold trapped inside. She felt the chill all the way into her bones as she wandered the halls. This place felt menacing, sinister; as if it were harboring a great evil. Each hall she turned down, each door she peered into… the weight of the world seemed to be crushing her shoulders… this place claiming its stake of her soul.

Castle of the Cursed is a YA gothic fantasy following Estela after the loss of her parents as she is taken in by an estranged aunt. This aunt lives in a castle that’s been cursed for centuries and when Estela arrives she’s determined to find out what this curse is and how to break it.

I really enjoyed the gothic elements of this book and the mystery of the curse. The dark, eerie setting gave off a bit of horror vibes. I did feel the romance was a little off… a bit rushed. I felt the characters could have been developed a little more to make their connection stronger. Overall though it was a really good read.

If you’re a fan of gothic fantasies, family curses/secrets, and vampires, then you’ll want to check this one out!

I wanted to like this book, but it was a huge miss for me.

This read like an adult version of Twilight, with a slight horror element.

The story had a lot of suspense and twists, but the twists weren't really worth it.

This is a 2.5 rounded up.
I felt like a lot of this story wasn't fully fledged out, the characters drove me nuts.. Felipe, you need to get over yourself. I wasn't able to immerse myself in this story, if I wasn't confused I was annoyed.
The redeeming qualities for me was the relationship between Estella and Sebastian- yes it was fast but they were sweet.. and the ending with Sebastian's 'food' LOL... I loved that.
Unfortunately this one wasn't for me.

“Castle of the cursed” is a gothic YA tale surrounding Estela. When her parents fall prey to mysterious circumstances surrounding their deaths, she is sent overseas to live with her estranged aunt in a Spanish castle.

Soon she becomes suspicious of her parents past, old family secrets, tales and mythology that she begins to suspect are actual truths, however she can’t tell where she is suffering from delusions or if certain events and individuals in fact exist in reality.

I enjoyed the mysteries in the plot and the search for answers and discoveries to uncover the actual truths of the town. It was unclear who had good intentions and who could be trusted.

I also enjoyed the side romance plot that didn’t take away from everything else going on. There’s a lot of cultural references and use of languages and translation within the book and I enjoyed the escape into another country rich with history and intrigue.

Thank you to Romina Garber, St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: July 30th

I honestly don’t know what to think of this book. I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed Estela’s character and how she had to find resilience within her self to survive her tremendous grief. I enjoyed the enigma that is Bastian. I enjoyed how Bea was written, it was quite easy to hate her from the very beginning.

The plot twists kept on coming! It definitely kept me on my toes, kept me guessing all the way to the very end. Even the epilogue had surprises.

The only negative point I have to share is how fast the relationship between Estela and Bastian grows. I’m sure as a teenager I would have been all about it. Now as an adult, reading a YA book, I’m not so convinced. But as this book was written for teens, it makes sense not everything about it would necessarily work for me.

While I loved the concept, I did not enjoy the actual book very much. I am somewhat a mood reader, so it is possible that I was just in a weird headspace. I had trouble connecting with the characters and thought the pacing felt uneven. The gothic vibes were fantastic, but I wanted to be more invested in Estela’s journey than I was.

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.

I wish I could put into words how much I enjoyed this. What a great book. Highly recommend.

As a lover of everything gothic, I can say Romina Garber did a great job building up the atmosphere here, from the crumbling castle setting to the town full of people who seem just a bit off. Ultimately something just didn't click with me and I bowed out around 35%.

Castle of the cursed is a book that keeps on giving. It starts out one way and ends in another. It has perfect paranormal gothic vibes with a dash of horror. It keeps a good pace throughout and is unpredictable.
I really enjoyed reading this novel.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Unfortunately like a lot of other early reviews, I just had a hard time staying interested in this one. Dnf right before the 40 percent mark. I think the right audience would love this book but that isn’t me. I think this would have worked better as an adult book.

Castle of the Cursed is an incredibly unique fantasy novel with a little bit of mystery, a little bit of horror, and a little bit of romance. The only way I can accurately describe it is by calling it mash up of What the River Knows, Dracula, and Kingdom of the Wicked, with a dash of Coraline and A Deadly Education. I know that’s a lot of comps, and I’d love to elaborate, but doing so would give away some major spoilers.

While I was drawn in to the plot at the beginning, the story was very slowly paced. Additionally, the more I read, the more outlandish the plot became. In some ways that’s classic gothic literature, but I kept wondering if the author was having trouble developing the ultimate storyline.

There are so many great themes in the book - topics of grief and depression, family, and finding your inner strength. Unfortunately, for me, these were overshadowed by my lack of connection with the plot. I think a tighter focus on developing all the characters would have helped make the story more engaging, especially better utilization of Felipe’s character. Additionally, I would have liked a great emphasis on the romance, or doing away with it entirely. I get the sense that the ending twist would be the same with or without Sebastián’s character, which makes me wonder if he was necessary at all. I think this book tried to take on too many things. I do think it will find its audience, but just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.