Having spent many weeks preparing to go to her first ever ball, Eloisa leaves home full of excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, a series of unfortunate events leave her stranded in the middle of nowhere instead.
Help comes in the unlikely form of a huge gothic castle, and her rather reluctant host, Simeon Calversham, Lord Pendlebury. However, it quickly transpires that Mitchelham Castle is not the place of safety she had hoped it would be. Eloisa is quickly plunged into a desperate battle for survival in the long, draughty corridors, where more than the ghosts go bump in the night.
Simeon finds himself feeling more for his guest than any respectable host should, but is determined to protect her, whatever the cost to his sanity. It quickly becomes impossible to ignore the raging desire that surges between them but, with the dangers looming ever closer, Simeon is faced with a desperate battle to keep them both alive while trying to unmask the cold-blooded killer who stalks the house.
Will the castle’s sinister secrets prevent any chance of a happy ending? Or will he be forced to let her go just to keep her alive? If he does, could he ever hope to win her back again?
This is a gothic treat of a Regency, featuring a spooky castle, a stormy night, and ghostly goings on. The mood starts off with a sinister edge, building the suspense and taking us from the retired life of a country mouse to a intrepid paranormal pursuer.
First things first, this book needed some additional editing (eg its court-martial, not court-marshall, and the term “golden boy” wasn’t used in the modern sense until the 1930s) and the head hopping was one of the more extreme examples I have seen in years. It can be really jarring to move back and forth, with no indication, from paragraph to paragraph between the two MCs heads. Same with transitions of time. So buck up for that, gentle reader.
I also thought the suspense could have been built up a bit more. After the first few chapters of pure gothic spookiness, the novel veers into the “calls are coming from inside the house” type of a psychological horror/action vibe. Which is good, if you are expecting that. I wasn’t, so wanted more gothic! More ghosts! More slow, psychological suspense. But, I guess, a villain is more on brand with the gothic. And the hero is broody AF, so there is that.
Eloisa is an interesting heroine. The author emphasizes her common sense and lack of panic, and these are the things that most attract hero Simeon. The two are almost immediately attracted to each other (insta-love is strong in this one) and must band together to combat the “intruder” in their midst.
This was an entertaining read with a happy conclusion and definitely not formulaic. There is the element of mystery, which some readers will really enjoy (although I figured it out pretty early on, the clues were not exactly subtle).
Sex occurs off the page, but their are a lot of mentions of sexual tension and desire, so its not exactly a recommended reader for staunch kisses only folks.
Some aspects, including the language, will raise the hackles of era purists and there are some other areas where you will need to suspend your disbelief. But generally I found this to be an interesting and different book that I was able to get through quickly.
4 out of 6 Gothic leaning psychological thriller
| Content Rating/Heat Index | |
|---|---|
| Mature Content |   |
| Not much, aside from villianous behaviors | |
| Intimacy | |
| Kisses only, sex off page | |
| Violence | |
| Violent carriage accident, assault, accidents but none too graphic | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Best for readers who don't mind violence and the suggestion of pre-marital sex | |
