The setting, a spooky and seemingly cursed castle, adds an exciting layer of tension throughout the story. Loved the mystery elements. The characters, particularly the protagonist, are well-developed and relatable, and you can’t help but root for them as they face unimaginable challenges.

Garber’s writing is immersive, with vivid descriptions that paint a clear picture of the haunting world. I loved the details painting the world.

Thank you for providing a copy for me to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very creepy at times. I really enjoyed the mysteries this story was built around and how Estela has to unravel these mysteries to figure out what happened to her parents and why. I loved the supernatural elements in the book and how intricate they were.

Castle of the Cursed is perfect for fans of Twilight and Crave looking for a fresh and unique spin on YA supernatural romance with a gothic horror romance twist. Sullen, haunted girls, angsty, cursed boys, and moody atmospheric settings make this a swoon-worthy and satisfying treat. There was mystery, suspense and a compelling premise along with all the lovable tropes that come with dark YA Fantasy. I really enjoyed it!


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Netgalley , and the author for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

A very interesting read. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book. It wasn't really for me, but I am sure that it will be loed by the right audience.

This was a unique read. It started out engaging and fast-paced, but as it got further into the story, all kind of outrageous things started happening, causing me to kind of lose interest in both the characters and the story. I struggled to finish the book, but others may enjoy it more.

Hhmmm….the first half of this book was actually decent. The paranormal mystery intrigued me and I kept wanting to read. HOWEVER. Once I hit the second half, there were a LOT of weird random twists that didn’t make sense, lots of reveals that didn’t quite add up.

Romance was interesting, but not overly compelling.

I felt like the plot had way too much going on.

I ended up skimming to the end bc I wanted to know what happened, but this isn’t a book I’d read again.

Romina Garber’s The House Is Always Hungry sets out to deliver a dark and atmospheric gothic romance but ultimately stumbles under the weight of its ambitions. While the premise is promising—a grieving young woman unraveling family secrets in a haunted Spanish castle—the execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a story that feels uneven and unsatisfying.

The biggest issue lies in the pacing. The novel starts off with a strong hook—Estela’s parents’ tragic deaths and her subsequent move to la Sombra—but quickly becomes bogged down by excessive exposition and meandering plotlines. The central mystery, though intriguing, unfolds too slowly, with long stretches where little happens to advance the story. Instead of building tension, these lulls make the narrative drag, diluting the suspense and horror the book is aiming for.

I loved the gothic elements in this book and how plot develops! I did struggle a lot throughout the book to connect with and in turn with the story as much as I would have liked. Overall an enjoyable creepy story that I recommend trying out!

I received a free copy of this novel on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you liked Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic (and/or Twilight), you will love this paranormal, Young Adult, gothic telenovela - and I mean telenovela.

Romina Garber’s novel address a lot of serious topics such as grief, survivor’s guilt, suicide, death of a parent and mental health issues. Though the messaging is deep, the story is surprisingly camp and not to be taken too seriously. Just go along for the ride.

At every turn, we learn something new about Estela, her family, or la Sombre. This could become overwhelming to some readers. However, if you view each chapter as an episode of a telenovela, it’s a lot easier to jump from a spooky and mysterious town, to enemies to lovers, to a long lost uncle just showing up doing magic.

Estela is also completely infuriating. She doesn’t listen to any of the rules and then wonders why bad things happen. Ugh. Teenagers.

Overall, Garber excels at blending genres, though purists of gothic romance or supernatural mysteries might not fully embrace the mash-up. Still, the fusion works if you like over-the-top drama and campy fun (Death Becomes Her/Beetlejuice/Heathers). The romance, while charming, veers slightly into “insta-love” territory, but it’s tempered by the mystery and the stakes surrounding Sebastián’s curse.

This book had a lot of potential and I am certain it will find it's people but it did not hit the mark for me. Certain parts are over done which leads to a feeling of campy vampire telenova. Certain characters personalities completely implode for the sake of pushing the plot forward and the plot twist/cliff hanger at the end of the book doesn't make sense and not in a "I just didn't see if coming" way but that it was thrown in there for shock factor and only shock factor. Would love to see what is next for this author as I think they will be able to iron the wrinkles I found in this book.

Overall, I didn't find it "gothic horror" like it was marketed - it definitely fit the gothic part, but not the horror part. And despite being a "gothic romance" I don't think we needed the romance - I think it would have worked without the two vague scenes and the wishywashy shadow love interest.

I read fiction for a reason, but I would like my fiction to make sense. I understand plot wise WHY the author did what she did; just because it makes sense plot wise doesn't mean it's always the best idea.

The book hooked me at first, and I was super involved with wanting to know more; as the story hit about 50% of the way through, I think there was too much of... everything and it diluted the story. I think the author put a little *too* much supernatural aspects in this book. If it was straight family legacy, haunted/cursed castle and magic, I believe the story would have flown better, but once you threw in additional supernatural beings that really don't make sense in the setting, I lost me.

I personally didn't care for the twist at the end, or the ending per say; just wasn't my cup of tea. Despite it's flaws it was an easy read and I did really like the fact we did learn Spanish with the character!

Castle Of The Cursed
Romina Garber
4.5⭐️

Pub Date: 7/30/2024

Woosh! That was a freaking good read!
That prologue was already OMG-worthy. It nabbed my attention right away! 25 people just froze and dropped dead in the subway with only 1 survivor? Black smoke all around without fire? What was happening?! When Estela (FMC) moved to Spain and had to live in a family castle rumored to be cursed, she started experiencing more bizarre events. There were so many things and events that I didn't expect about the castle, the history of the family, the characters and the town itself. I had a lot of mixed feelings for certain people. It was so twisted but in a really good way. There were so many things happening because of the dimensions and the other mysteries, but they were easy to follow and I didn't really feel like I got lost in any way. This feels like a YA book. It has romance but minimal spice. It didn't take away from the plot though. The only thing I noted was that there were so many Spanish sentences and words (which is understandable as this was set in Spain). Yes they're mostly translated but there were times when I thought some weren't. It may be a little challenging for people without Spanish language background. I had to Google a few.
Overall, this was well written and I definitely enjoyed every part of it.
Fantasy, Gothic, murder, mystery, romance with a sexy entity... what else can we ask for? 🤭

Thank you @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for a gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This YA Gothic Horror was quite the ride. I definitely felt entertained, and if I had gone into this story thinking it would be more serious, I might have disliked it. Instead, I found myself almost laughing my way through the twists and turns (kind of like when I watch horror movies). Structurally, the book is a bit all over the place, but the story still makes sense. If you want to feel like you're watching a vampire telenovela, this is your book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have quite literally never read anything like it.

It took me a couple days to write this review because this book was so unique, and frankly a little dark, which isn’t always my cup of tea but this one really held my interest.

It’s one of those books where you really don’t know what to believe or entirely what is going on, but in a clearly intention and honestly thrilling kind of way. It was my first time reading Romina Garber and I would read it and her again.

If you’re a fan of mystery, twists, and some dark magic - this one might just be for you!

Fat-friendly rating? 🩶 neutral

I had high hopes for this gothic paranormal vampire thriller, horror, romance, but the execution let me down. This book was trying to be so many things and so it got lost and didn't fully achieve any of them in a fully fleshed out way.
The one thing that this book did really well was vibes, so if you are okay with underdeveloped characters and a plot that could use a bit more cohesion you will be satisfied with the vibes.

“These new feelings you awaken in me are more terrifying than not knowing who I am.”

What an eerie, and unexpected surprise. I really enjoyed reading this one. It was gothic, romantic, fantastic, and sometimes just weird, but overall it was great!
It is all thoughtfully put together, very beautifully written, and the world building is done very well. Picture Disney’s Encanto if the house were haunted. The neighbourhood has such history that really leaned into the storyline, strengthening the beliefs some characters held to their core. I really loved how Romina Garber was able to bring in a lot of Spanish culture, including the language.
The story follows Estela after a mysterious tragedy occurs, she is taken from her life in the USA and moved to Spain to be with distant family members. She finds herself alone, struggling, and feeling so lost within herself as she uncovers so much about her past that she didn’t even know about. We meet Sebastián, who begrudgingly teams up with Estela to help her figure out her past, as well as her future, and the spine chilling truth as to why she never knew this part of her family.
I would have liked to know more about the house and the magic within it but I could see how going into it much more would make for a very long novel. The romance in the book was okay. I loved Sebastián but didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two of them.
The last sentence of the book - OMG! Definitely not what I was expecting and left my jaw on the floor!
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dark romances or paranormal fiction.

I just didn't vibe with this book. It wasn't for me. I wasn't invested in the characters and everything was just too weird, but not a good weird. I felt like the whole plot was rushed but at the same time too slow. The pacing was just so off. I also didn't believe the romance in this at all. It wasn't there one second and the next it was there like magic. This just wasn't the book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

When Estela's parents die suddenly in a freak accident that leaves everyone but her dead, she is left directionless and alone. After a stint in the hospital she is contacted by a long lost aunt she didn't know about who offers her a home in Spain. The home is full of weird rules and odd things.

This book was pretty good. There were quite a few times though where I felt the story got away from the author and things didn't make much sense. It would pull me out of the story immediately. There was also this weird enemies to insta love thing going that weirded me out as well.

I'd like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC
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There were many aspects about this book that I loved and some I didn't enjoy as much. I loved the descriptions and the glimpses of the other world. I would have loved to see more of it explored, but I'm content with what we did see. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed getting to know them. I personally struggled with the pacing a little. At times it felt like the story dragged. Despite my few issues, I still loved the characters and world that was created.

This was 100% a very unique take on vampires, one I have never experienced before so I enjoyed the novelty of the idea. The book overall was very dark and sad, basically a grief spiral full of heartbreak, loss and suicidal ideation so if those are topics you do not want to read about then maybe stay clear of this read. I am pretty sure this is YA, but with the dark emotional aspect of the book as well as the sexual encounters, I would not recommend this to the younger readers, only older teens and adults. I will say the part I was the most unhappy with is the instalove. The whole story takes place over less than 2 weeks, the love interests do not know each other except through some violent/abusive encounters and then there was a lot of declaring of eternal love that came out of nowhere so I was not sold on the romance. I will say the ending was a giant WTF moment that left me with A LOT of questions that I need to discuss especially since I am pretty sure this is a standalone novel. Way to throw me a curve ball to keep me up at night.