Rating: 4/5
I received this book for my honest opinion.

If you’re looking for a YA book that is filled with paranormal, webs of mystery, a lot of twists and turns, gothic romance this book is definitely one that you should pick up. In this book you will meet Estela whose family has perished 7 months ago and she finds out that she has 1 living relative still alive but she lives at their ancestral Spanish castle called La Sombra. Estela knows what killed her parents and 23 others was not what the authorities are saying but something else and she will do whatever she has to find out the truth. However will that truly take her down a path that has no return and is clouded in more smoke??

I thought this author did a great job with the plot, yes there are a lot of secrets and the plot does twist around a few times, but I didn’t have a hard time understanding what was going on at all. I did have to go back a few times and re read a page again just because I was like “wait! No, that didn’t just happen” but in a good way. The pace was great for the book, no info dump in the first part of the book, but throughout the book you will get more and more information. I thought the world building was excellent, when you read this book you will drag into the world and really get the feel for this spooky Spanish castle and all the secrets that it’s wanting to spill. I loved that you get a paranormal aspect in this book. I thought the characters were well developed and I found myself able to relate to Estela. Sebastian, he is a whole different story… At first I was like nope nope I don’t like you but of course the “villain” always wins over my heart about 1/4 of the way in and yup he did that in this book as well. I loved that he was all like touch her and die, yet in the start he was like I am going to kill you. 

I found that this multi-generational and multi-dimensional gothic mystery was just what I needed. I found the darker side of YA fantasy to be perfect and I thought the author did good with the trigger warnings at the start of the book. Make sure to read them before you dive into this book because it does address suicide, mental health, death of parents and grief. I also received the Audio of this book and I thought the narrator did a great job with this book. It really helped to bring the characters and the scenes to life. 

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martins and Macmillan for the opportunity to review this book.

4/5 It's a great horror story about mental health, grief, and coming to terms with both!I will definitely be recommending this to my book group.

A Dark, Romantic, and Paranormal Page-Turner!
It only took me less than 2 days to read this book, and I'm still reeling from the experience. As a fan of dark romantic, and paranormal fiction, this novel ticked all the right boxes for me. The twists and turns were expertly woven, keeping me on the edge of my seat and wondering what would happen next.

One of the unique aspects of this book is the incorporation of Spanish language and culture. As a non-bilingual reader, I was initially concerned about following the story, but the audiobook narration helped me pick up on the language and even taught me a few phrases! Bonus points for being educational and immersive.

The world-building in this novel is rich and complex, with a deep history and lore that added depth to the story. While it may be confusing for some readers, I found it to be a strength of the book. The author's writing is masterful, and I was fully invested in the world and characters.

Estela, the main character, is a powerhouse of a protagonist. Her backstory is heartbreaking, and her journey is both poignant and empowering. The unlikely bond she forms with another character is a highlight of the book, and I was rooting for her from start to finish.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to fans of paranormal romance and dark fiction. Be prepared for a wild ride with plenty of surprises and a healthy dose of Spanish culture. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy - I'll be recommending this to everyone!

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for my free audiobook for review.

The audio narration by Ana Osorio truly brought this dark fantasy to life in an authentic way, capturing the Spanish backdrop beautifully. Her skillful performance in voicing Estella's complex emotions had me as the listener completely invested in the protagonist's inner turmoil and journey.

Osorio's emotive delivery amplified the intensity of the tangled secrets and gradual unraveling that kept me riveted throughout the story. Her nuanced interpretation allowed me to fully immerse myself in Estella's struggles, the rich family history, and the unexpected exploration of themes like sisterhood and vengeance.

Even the shocking ending hit harder thanks to Osorio's masterful narration. Her ability to convey the full range of emotions left me reeling in the best way possible. I highly recommend experiencing this gothic, supernatural adventure in audiobook format, as Osorio's performance elevates the already gripping narrative to new heights.

I wanted to like this book more, but because of the narrator's voice I kept picturing Estela to be around 14 years old or even a little younger. The romance between her and Sebastian fell flat for me - he seemed to be much older, and I didn't feel a connection between them. The premise grabbed me, and I liked the author's writing style but between the narrator's younger voice and the slower pacing, this novel just wasn't for me. That certainly won't prevent me from checking out this author's future releases.

Well. I have some mixed feelings with this one.

Overall I think the premise was really cool-gothic romance with a blood hungry castle. And while it had a bunch of turns plot-wise the characters just fell a little flat and were hard to care about. I liked other books by this author so I would read more I just didn’t really care about this one.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

3.5 Stars

This is a great gothic horror that is set in Spain, and has a unique quality about it that is rare in YA books!

We follow Estela on her journey through grief after a horrific attack leaves her orphaned, forced to relocate to an eerie family castle with her estranged aunt in a remote area of Spain.

Like other iconic gothic novels, the setting and the castle Estela is relocated to, act as their own character throughout the novel, and I have to say, it was horrific and spooky in the best of ways.

We have a town full of secrets and a world build around the mystery of what this castle has done for centuries. Each of the town’s families holds a special role, and Estela is struggling to find her role, while solving the mystery surrounding the death of her parents.

In addition to the mystery, we have a romance that is equal parts swoony and unreliable; who can Estela (or even us as readers) trust??

I will admit that the magic and fantastical world building felt sometimes confusing, but regardless I was gripped and couldn’t wait to see how the story shook out.

I had the pleasure of listening via audio and the narrator did an incredible job. We had moments of Spanish dialogue and hearing it from a native Spanish speaker from Spain was absolutely immersive.

I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but I ended up really enjoying it! YA isn't usually my thing, but I loved the gothic atmosphere and see-alive castle. The world and magic system were intriguing and I would've loved to learn more about it, but this book was definitely edited to strictly share what was needed for the plot. I found that I was very engaged and invested in the characters throughout.

I'm glad I listened on audio, as I was able to hear the pronunciation of the Spanish throughout (It is translated to English, too, though!) The narrator did sound a little too young, considering the MC turns 18 and has some borderline spicy scenes.

Also, that ending?!

Gothic telenovela meets Twilight in Castle of the Cursed!

I wish I had known going in that this was intending to be over-the-top, almost campy much like a telenovela. I knew it was a darker gothic romance with vampires, but there were some twists that kind of threw me tonally until I figured out what the book was doing. I think I especially wasn't expecting it because the book begins with content warnings- the main character deals with major mental health issues including suicidal ideation, grief, etc. So it's an interesting blend of serious and over-the-top.

I liked the idea of this book, but I have mixed feelings about the structural execution. The beginning is a little rushed with a lot happening that's important, but doesn't feel like it gives us quite enough setup. Then in the later part of the book, there is a big twist that kind of info-dumps a lot of information and history with a mechanism I'm not really a fan of. I don't want to spoil anything, but I think there is a world where this could have been a much better book by seeding some of that information earlier without revealing what it actually meant. It is on the darker and sexier side of mature YA romantasy and I kind of liked the relationship element. I feel like this one is going to be polarizing, but it's decent and had even more potential. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This book is what The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo tried to be. Really interesting and fresh take on the vampire mythology. Thought the twist was really thought out.

3x listening speed was not fast enough to finish this book. This is my second time reading this author and I am very sorry, but I think her writing is just not for me. This was kind of confusing with the magic and the castle, and it kind of had the dumbest instalove romance I've read in YA in a long time.

This was a bittersweet story about a girl who moves to Spain. after she lucks out. The romance was cute, the characters shone bright, and the plot was engaging!

I think I have a love hate relationship with this book?! The audio was amazing and the story was so dark and interesting it was hard not to love. There were other things that made me a little uncomfy, so check your trigger warnings. Overall I think the story was great.

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!!

The narration was very good. The reader did a wonderful job.

♡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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Castle of the Cursed is a dark, enthralling gothic romance with wonderful character development and a beautifully written setting.

This one was lovely. Romina’s writing is simple but beautiful, and I loved the descriptions and romance. The characters were so fun, and the character development was wonderful. The pacing was overall great, though I felt the beginning was a little slow. The story was dark but hopeful, and although it occasionally read younger despite the more adult themes, it was a very fun read with many interesting aspects that will enchant fans of Gallant, Dracula, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novels.

Ana Osario has narrated multiple of my most recent audiobook reads, and her narration of CotC has been my favorite. She captured the story and characters beautifully. It always takes me a few minutes to adjust to her voice, but I have a great time listening once I do!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was PERFECTION.

The gothic manor, the secrets, the magic, the monster... the romance. I loved Bastian. From the moment we meet him, I enjoyed seeing him on the page, and his mystery along with Estela's own history was fascinating to uncover.

Estela wasn't what I expected. She was smart and clever, she was filled with grief and rage and I feel like I felt her pain as she worked through her own emotions.

And that was the biggest thing for me -- the emotions I'm this book are raw. The gothic atmosphere was heavy. And la Sombra was utterly terrifying and amazing to unravel. This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in.

And I loved the audiobook narrator. They did a wonderful job bringing this world to life.

I really enjoyed this intriguing book filled with heartbreak, mystery, romance, spooky gothic vibes and so much more! The narrator was great and easy to listen to! I thought it was well paced and kept my attention from start to finish! The very last sentence threw me off though, so I'm interested to see what that was about or if there could be a sequel in the future! I look forward to reading more of this author's books!

Ok. I want to start by saying that I enjoyed the majority of this book. I loved the setting, the description of food and the integration of Spanish language. Lovely. What I did not enjoy was the rushed romance between a 17 year old mentally ill girl and an immortal vampire prince with mixed feelings for her sister and a large body count. Not a fan. There were so many things jammed into this book that it was just too much. It became ridiculous. Why not make a duology? Why not make a longer book? Also im the epilogue 18 year old Estela is now the town doctor? Lol

The narrator is fantastic. She does an amazing job distinguishing between characters.

I was lucky enough to read "Castle of the Cursed", by Romina Garber, and I feel equally as fortunate to have been able to listen to the audio book. Let me start out by saying the narrator set the mood of this story perfectly. This audio book is full of modern, spooky, gothic goodness. It is full interesting characters, and twists and turns will keep you guessing until the end.