Content Warning: violence, kidnapping, death, loss of a parent, depression, grief

+ The gothic vibes in this book is nice. Estela moves in with her estranged aunt who lives in a Spanish castle called la Sombra. It’s dark, it’s falling apart, it’s old and she feels like someone is watching her. The town around la Sombra, feeds into the lore of the castle and the families that have lived there, almost like they are the rulers of the town. Estela learns about her family’s dark past and I thought where the story took me was quite unexpected.

+ Estela feels like an unreliable narrator at first because things that have happened in her life without a normal explanation. Also, because of her parents death – she’s being treated for PTSD and she doesn’t at times trust her own memories so I thought that made more engaged in the story because I didn’t know where it would be heading. I thought her growth and journey was strong though.

+ I did like the twists in the story, especially the ones I wasn’t expecting. There is a whole theme of family in this story that I thought was done well, especially when it’s about family secrets and there is a lot that Estela uncovers about her family, good and bad.

~ There is a paranormal romance in this story. Sebastián is a dark presence in the castle that is trapped and only Estela can see him. She finds out that he’s a vampire which even more fantastic given the gothic atmosphere of the book and I love paranormal romance. But I didn’t love the romance in this one. I didn’t feel the chemistry between them, even though there were heated moments, it fell kind of flat to me. It’s a bit too insta-love for me especially for someone like Estela going through so much trauma. I wish there was more build-up to their attraction.

My Thoughts:

I like how this book took me on an unexpected, twisty, and mysterious journey with Estela who is overcoming some difficult things like grief and trauma. I thought the gothic vibes were great and la Sombra was definitely creepy but I felt like I needed more from the story and wish the romance wasn’t so insta-love.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

This book was so good. It took me a minute to get into it, but after the first like two chapters I was absolutely hooked. I wanted to know what was going on in the castle that Estela was living in, why her aunt was acting the way she was, and what the heck was going on with Sebastian! The history of the town that Estela lived in after the accident involving her parents was well thought out and I really liked uncovering what was happening and learning along with Estela. It was a creepy vibe throughout the book that I was absolutely here for, it kept me on my toes the whole time and gave me the same feeling as watching a good horror movie. The twist towards the end? Absolutely killer. And then the last word of the book? I’m dying over that, and for my own peace and sanity I have decided not to read too much into it (after I went back and reread a certain scene like three times to try and make sure I knew what had actually happened).

I absolutely would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, suspense, mystery, etc. because it had it all and it was such a fun and entrancing read!

Castle of the Cursed follows Estela, the sole survivor of a mysterious accident in which her parents died. She arrives at her ancestral castle, la Sombra, in Spain where she begins to suspect that her family may have secrets greater than she could have ever imagined. As Estela aims to discover the truth about her parents' death, she embarks on a supernatural journey with unexpected twists and turns.

While I was immensely intrigued by the premise and anticipation in the first half of the book, I felt as if the second half did not live up to my expectations. A lot of what happened, especially closer to the end, felt a bit random and forced to me. However, I did enjoy Estela's romance with Sebastian, and I thought their chemistry and tension was exciting! Overall, it was still a good read that had me flipping the pages as fast I could.

I would recommend this book to fans of Holly Jackson and Cassandra Clare!

Whoah.

Just...

Whoah.

I knew this book was going to be a good one. I really enjoyed the cover so I decided to give it a shot and either this book is just that good or I got out of my mood for anything other than contemporary romance. My bet is the former. This was a fun read that felt very gripping. I was on the edge of my seat and needing more more more more. I think this is going to be a popular one for sure. There were some instances in which it got a little dull but it was worth powering through at the very least. Thank you!

The story starts off with a bang of the first chapter in which we see Estela riding a subway when something inexplicably kills all of the subway car’s occupants, including her parents, leaving Stella as the sole survivor. Sent from a mental institution to her estranged aunt at her family’s ancestral castle, prickly Stella is left with some very strict instructions. The Spanish castle serves as the perfectly creepy setting for this novel about grief and recovery. During her stay with her aunt she discovers dark family secrets and picks up a forbidden love interest along the way.

I started this book confident this was going to turn into a new favourite and by the end I thought it was just okay. The first half of the book had been wrapped up in the possibilities of the setting, the plot and the relationship but as it unentangled itself it began to loosen its hold on my interest. I think I would have enjoyed this more had it been a horror novel instead of setting its sights on being a romance. There’s a morally gray love interest but I’m not sure the black and the white of his personality was ever really balanced enough to make me root for him as a love interest for Stella and their relationship ends up being critical to what unfolds in the later half of the book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was provided an ARC of this book through Netgalley for an honest review.

The biggest draw of this book is absolutely the incredible atmosphere. Dark, gothic and immersive, the castle, and the town by extension, stand out as characters of their own. I enjoyed the mystery unfolding as Estela slowly explored the castle and got to learn about the town's history. Her aunt and the other townsfolk's odd behavior kept up that off-kilter feeling that Estela was going through as her whole life was turned upside down.

Estela is a compelling main character and her grief and mental illness hit hard. Her feeling so alone in the world and then experiencing even more losses on top of everything, things she didn't even know she had to lose, absolutely hurts. The way she grapples with whether it's even worth it to fight or to try to win adds to the conflict she is facing.

The romance in this book and Bastian's character change fell flat for me. His personality and priorities change too much too fast for it to make any sense to me. I don't understand how he lost so much ruthlessness and then fell head over heels for Estela. I like Estela as a character but I don't understand what he specifically would see in her. The build up for his devotion to her to make sense just wasn't there.

I had the fun experience of being a Spanish learner at a similar level to Estela when I picked up this book. I enjoyed trying to translate and parse what characters were saying and then reading on to see Estela having a similar thought process and strategy as I did. It was a delightful little aspect of the book that I was pleasantly surprised by.

Pick this book up if you want to read about a creepy, gothic castle and a sinister, supernatural plot. That is absolutely where this book shines the most.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Romina Garber and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

This book had such potential...I remember reading the synopsis and being over the moon excited, but sadly I was let down around the mid point.

The beginning of this book did a great job at pulling you in and holding your attention with the mystery, but then we got to the halfway point. From there on, it took me a long time to get through. Everything felt like it was all over the place. Suddenly, Sabastian is madly in love, a miscellaneous character (the uncle) appears, and then everything goes wild from there. I think this book could have been an incredible read if it had just a bit more consistency and a better bell curve to the narrative.

I just finished Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber. The eARC was provided by NetGalley.

Estela Amador is the lone survivor of a freak subway accident that killed 25 people-- including her parents. Shipped off as a ward of the state, Estela is devastated by their loss, and wracked with survivor's guilt. Convinced there's something supernatural at play, Estela is frustrated when the police declare the incident as a gas leak. Thinking she's all alone in the world, she's surprised when her mother's sister contacts the hospital that she's in to offer her a chance to start over. The only problem, her Aunt owns an historic castle in Spain, Estela doesn't speak the language, never met any of her family, but agrees to go to solve the mystery of her parent's death. By digging into the past, Estela hopes to figure out what really happened to her parents, and why the locals all think her ancestral home is cursed.

This book was.. odd. The initial mystery pulled me in, and I had expectations about haunted castles, blood curses, etc. But instead, we got a labyrinthine plot that spans dimensional travel, vampires, and non-magical magic? Estela is both too smart for her own good, and also not very smart at all. Which, to be fair, is a trait a lot of teenagers have. The dark sinister foreboding never really reaches an actual feeling of dread, it mostly just leads to confusion. I think this book probably started out as a great idea, and then there was another one and another one and another one and it ended up just bogged down in side plots and weirdness. The character development is forced, it doesn't seem like any character is more than two dimensional, and the love story doesn't feel earned. The biggest issue that I had though, was the dialogue. It was frequently awkward and stilted-- there were whole conversations that were too stiff and formal for the characters who were doing the talking. Estela would sound like a normal 17 year old on one page, and the next she would sound like a 45 year old woman. I am very big on magic systems, and there was no consistency in the system. SPOILERS: Twins could wield magic, but also they couldn't because magic doesn't exist on Earth? The house is an entity that is attached to the Grandparent but also IS the grandparent and a dimensional portal? and also helps Estela? I wanted to love this book, but it was just a little too messy for me.

"La Sombra" presents readers with a hauntingly atmospheric tale of family secrets and supernatural intrigue set against the backdrop of a Spanish castle shrouded in mystery. While the novel boasts an evocative setting and an intriguing premise, it falls short of reaching its full potential.

The protagonist, Estela, grapples with the aftermath of a devastating attack that leaves her orphaned and plagued by survivor's guilt. Her journey to uncover the truth behind her parents' deaths takes her to the enigmatic la Sombra, where dark secrets lurk beneath the surface. The author skillfully builds tension through vivid descriptions and a sense of foreboding, drawing readers into a world filled with secrets and shadows.

However, despite the atmospheric setting, the pacing of the novel often feels uneven, with moments of slow buildup interspersed with bursts of action. Certain plot twists and revelations may come across as predictable, diminishing the impact of the mystery at the heart of the story. Additionally, some characters and plot threads feel underdeveloped, leaving readers wanting more depth and complexity.

The romance between Estela and Sebastián, while adding an intriguing dynamic to the narrative, feels somewhat clichéd and lacks genuine emotional depth. Their relationship evolves in a predictable manner, failing to fully captivate the reader or elevate the story beyond familiar tropes.

Overall, "La Sombra" is a decent read that will appeal to fans of gothic mysteries and supernatural thrillers. While it may not break new ground in terms of storytelling, it offers an engaging escape into a world where secrets lurk in the shadows and reality is as elusive as the castle's namesake.

Appreciate the trigger warnings early on. Loved the cover and the idea but it just didn't work for me. Enjoyed the vampire prince. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

When Estela and her parents are the victims of an train accident that leaves her the lone survivor she is left speechless in a hospital to recover. An aunt she doesn’t know finds her and offers her a home in a mysterious castle in Spain. The first half of this book was very engaging and I was interested to learn about Estela and her new mysterious home. The second half left me confused and lost at times. I felt it picked up to quick and got needlessly complicated trying to incorporate too many elements.. For me this made it hard to follow and difficult for me to be able suspend belief since there were too many fantastical concepts occurring all at once that I had to try and accept and move on from. Overall this story had a good start but it just felt like it was trying to incorporate too many different elements.

Castle of the Cursed is the story of Estela and how she comes to find out who she is and the secrets of her ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra. While reading this I felt like I was reading 3 different stories. It changes at about a third of the way in and then again at about two-thirds. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I laugh at how oddly it was written in spots? Also yes. The romance did not work for me at all. Tela comes across as much younger than Sebastian. Their interactions were very weird and did not feel authentic, they felt rushed. The other characters were also kind of strange, in particular, Felipe who goes from a nice helpful neighborhood book guy to a nutcase at the drop of a hat. I know this will work for a ton of people, but for me, it was like three separate stories forced together. It is a great gothic story though.

I devoured Garber’s gothic tale within a day. I loved the strength within the protagonist, the unexpected twists and turns, and adorable romance. Not to mention the allusions and descriptions of Spanish culture. Garber is an author I will always say yes to reading.

LOVED!! This novel follows Estela who discovers a whole new world when tragedy hits. A world of self discovery, found family and new friendships. All white living and navigating through a cursed house. This story was truly magical and such an enchanting book.

The plot line was incredibly well detailed, and left me with no questions on what was happening. The creepy castle vibes was a perfect setting, but some moments threw me off.

~I want to start this by saying that there is heavy and dark mental illness rep in here. Our main girl, Estela, spirals and struggles so much with depression, grief and suicide after her parents death. It is not a one off and is throughout the entire book. Please take your mental health seriously and make sure you're ready before reading this book.~

Now my thoughts! I LOVED it. I DEVOURED this absolutely amazing book. It's my first Romina Garber book and it was just *chefs kiss*

Estela's parents are killed by a "freak" accident on the Subway and she is sent to a hospital as a ward of the state. While there, she receives a letter from an estranged aunt who lives in Spain. When she arrives, weird things start to happen and she can tell everyone in this small town is hiding something. Estela quickly starts to unravel the mysteries that surround her family and childhood, only to find something so much more sinister going on. With the help of her "Shadow Beast", a man she's been seeing in her dreams, they unravel the truth while finding love in the most unexpected ways.

I loved all of the characters so much as well as the mystery. The first few pages had me immediately hooked and kept my attention throughout the whole book! There wasn't a single boring part. I felt all of the emotions. I laughed, giggled, cried SO much, felt Estela's anger and frustration.

Bast is so swoon-worthy too!😍 Like, corporeal being who shows his feelings after he tried to kill me? Yes, please. He's so protective of Estela, physically and regarding her mental health doing everything he can to show her that she's not alone.

"I choose you over ... over everything."
MY HEART ❤️❤️

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. If you like gothic romance novels with interdimensional vampires than this book is for you. When Estle moves to Spain after her parents are mysteriously killed, she finds her self having to solve the puzzles that surround her in her new home. I liked the magic and gothic feel to this book. I was not really into the interdimensional vampire part.

Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber is an awesome dark gothic romance that will keep your interest from the first page to the last. And what an ending! Give this story a chance: it’s dark and twisted, with a fantastic world building and well developed characters and nothing is what it seems to be.
As an Spanish-speaker,, I LOVE the use of Spanish throughout the story. It’s well employed and absolutely correct. Well done!

SO GOOD. A little dark and full of turns, this was a really great read, though not that memorable. As I was reading this, I really enjoyed it. I basically read it in one sitting, as I just couldn’t put it down. I felt that everything was very well thought out, and plot points weren’t made just to fulfill tropes. It didn’t feel like insta-love from the way it was written, but the whole book happened over two-ish weeks so I guess it was. That’s a mild issue I had since I felt like they moved way too fast, but it didn’t have any impact on my enjoyment. Such a great book! 4.5 ⭐️

Wow. This book had me captivated from the very first sentence until the very end. I couldn't put it down!! This book had everything I absolutely love, from the Gothic romance to a mystery thriller and so much more. I devoured this book and absolutely loved it. The plot twist will definitely have you on edge and will make you want more!! You should definitely pick this book up once it's released ❤️