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The Curse of White Oak Grove
In White Oak Grove, no one goes out after dark.
Twenty years ago, while visiting her grandma in the small town of White Oak Grove, Aubyn witnessed something so horrific she refused to stay a second longer. Or ever think about it again.
Now her grandma has died, and Aubyn reluctantly returns to the isolated Texas town. She’ll pack up the house, attend the funeral, and go back home to her young daughter within the week. Wary, she tries to keep a low profile, but it seems like everyone in town knows her. More than that, they’ve been waiting for her.
Realizing she can no longer avoid the past, Aubyn begins to investigate the town’s sordid, hidden history. Not even her breathless fling with a handsome, charming local man can distract her from discovering the truth of what she saw twenty years earlier.
The unsettling secrets she gradually uncovers reveal something deeply wrong in White Oak Grove, and Aubyn finds out too late that neither she nor her family is safe. There’s something out there, watching her. Something that tasted her blood once and has been craving it ever since.
But Aubyn craves things too.
And she’s the only one who can break the curse that holds the town in its thrall.
Note: The Curse of White Oak Grove is a dark paranormal romance with plenty of blood and explicit sex. TWs include two villainous love interests, demeaning dirty talk, rough sex, murder with some gore, toxic relationships, description of a house fire, dub con.
Twenty years ago, while visiting her grandma in the small town of White Oak Grove, Aubyn witnessed something so horrific she refused to stay a second longer. Or ever think about it again.
Now her grandma has died, and Aubyn reluctantly returns to the isolated Texas town. She’ll pack up the house, attend the funeral, and go back home to her young daughter within the week. Wary, she tries to keep a low profile, but it seems like everyone in town knows her. More than that, they’ve been waiting for her.
Realizing she can no longer avoid the past, Aubyn begins to investigate the town’s sordid, hidden history. Not even her breathless fling with a handsome, charming local man can distract her from discovering the truth of what she saw twenty years earlier.
The unsettling secrets she gradually uncovers reveal something deeply wrong in White Oak Grove, and Aubyn finds out too late that neither she nor her family is safe. There’s something out there, watching her. Something that tasted her blood once and has been craving it ever since.
But Aubyn craves things too.
And she’s the only one who can break the curse that holds the town in its thrall.
Note: The Curse of White Oak Grove is a dark paranormal romance with plenty of blood and explicit sex. TWs include two villainous love interests, demeaning dirty talk, rough sex, murder with some gore, toxic relationships, description of a house fire, dub con.
402 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2023
4 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Heather Crews
20 books566 followersArt, dreams, spray paint. Love, death, villains. Awkward but nice. Can't keep plants alive.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Heather-Crews/...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
i-wrote
May 2, 2024Guess what you can now buy in paperback???
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
*****
IT'S LIVE!!!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHR6F3Q8
Also GR is being annoying by creating a new edition when I've had one on this site for MONTHS. Are new books on Amazon just automatically added to GR now? I hate fighting with them in the Librarian group. Ugh.
*****
I just edited this, wrote a synopsis, and uploaded it to Amazon. Normally I would linger over my work for a lot longer, striving for perfection, but I don't have that kind of time anymore, and I'm pretty proud of what I've done here. So fuck it! Here it is! THE CURSE OF WHITE OAK GROVE, available for your pervy consumption. (I'm sure it'll take Amazon forever to make it live, but I'll post an update when they do.)
PREVIOUSLY:
Heyyy, I wrote a blog post about this book :)
Here are the tl;dr details:
- small town with dark secrets and horrifying traditions (of course)
- creepy ghost mansion
- non-virgin heroine who has a young daughter (not an overly precocious or annoying one, don't worry)
- heroine has sex with two different guys (not together, and not concurrently)
- the sex is explicit and spicy AF
- villianous love interest(s)
- dub-con
- one love interest has been celibate a long time
- messy relationships, etc. etc.
- me trying to out-toxic myself, let's goooo
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
*****
IT'S LIVE!!!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHR6F3Q8
Also GR is being annoying by creating a new edition when I've had one on this site for MONTHS. Are new books on Amazon just automatically added to GR now? I hate fighting with them in the Librarian group. Ugh.
*****
I just edited this, wrote a synopsis, and uploaded it to Amazon. Normally I would linger over my work for a lot longer, striving for perfection, but I don't have that kind of time anymore, and I'm pretty proud of what I've done here. So fuck it! Here it is! THE CURSE OF WHITE OAK GROVE, available for your pervy consumption. (I'm sure it'll take Amazon forever to make it live, but I'll post an update when they do.)
PREVIOUSLY:
Heyyy, I wrote a blog post about this book :)
Here are the tl;dr details:
- small town with dark secrets and horrifying traditions (of course)
- creepy ghost mansion
- non-virgin heroine who has a young daughter (not an overly precocious or annoying one, don't worry)
- heroine has sex with two different guys (not together, and not concurrently)
- the sex is explicit and spicy AF
- villianous love interest(s)
- dub-con
- one love interest has been celibate a long time
- messy relationships, etc. etc.
- me trying to out-toxic myself, let's goooo
March 21, 2025
5 stars: I love the gothicy horror romance genre and Heather writes it so well.
Highly recommend going into this totally blind like I did.
The FMC is great. I really liked Aubyn being a single mom and over 30, not many FMCs are like that, especially in this genre. As I get older, it's nice to see that not every main character in a book is a 18-21 year old virgin (and super hot). I mean that's cool, but it's nice to see some original and different kinds of characters.
My only question and kind of warning is with how it ended it seems like there would be a sequel. As there are a few things left unresolved. I don't know if this was for dramatic effect or with the intention of a sequel in the works. It was very good regardless.
Highly recommend going into this totally blind like I did.
The FMC is great. I really liked Aubyn being a single mom and over 30, not many FMCs are like that, especially in this genre. As I get older, it's nice to see that not every main character in a book is a 18-21 year old virgin (and super hot). I mean that's cool, but it's nice to see some original and different kinds of characters.
My only question and kind of warning is with how it ended it seems like there would be a sequel. As there are a few things left unresolved. I don't know if this was for dramatic effect or with the intention of a sequel in the works. It was very good regardless.
January 15, 2024
Disclaimer: I'm friends with Heather on Goodreads. Enough that I feel she values honesty so this review will still be fair!
This is the first book I've read of hers, but I do not think it will be the last. I definitely need to be in the mood because this was creepy-horror-gothic-toxic relationship fare that I couldn't even categorize as "dark" exactly because it was so much more than that!
The Curse of White Oak Grove absolutely pulses with the setting, which is just my favorite kind of thing. I did not know what was going to happen (I never do anyway), and it managed to be sexy in that truly heinous bad boy way we all think we shouldn't like.
The heroine, Aubyn, was traumatized by her past, moved on, but wonderfully self-sufficient & competent.
Crews's prose is lush and delicious, at least in this book, but with that it could come off awkward or clunky and impact the pace from time to time. Not often, but certainly sections and much more earlier when I think the tension was drawn out a bit too long.
If you want a book that edges more towards horror or gothic vibe, this is for you. Because the focus was there, I think it's fair to say some characterization & motivation remains less explored, and this book isn't really about inner conflict. But be ready for some unforeseen external ones that would keep me from reading this in a cabin in the woods.
3.6, rounded up.
This is the first book I've read of hers, but I do not think it will be the last. I definitely need to be in the mood because this was creepy-horror-gothic-toxic relationship fare that I couldn't even categorize as "dark" exactly because it was so much more than that!
The Curse of White Oak Grove absolutely pulses with the setting, which is just my favorite kind of thing. I did not know what was going to happen (I never do anyway), and it managed to be sexy in that truly heinous bad boy way we all think we shouldn't like.
The heroine, Aubyn, was traumatized by her past, moved on, but wonderfully self-sufficient & competent.
Crews's prose is lush and delicious, at least in this book, but with that it could come off awkward or clunky and impact the pace from time to time. Not often, but certainly sections and much more earlier when I think the tension was drawn out a bit too long.
If you want a book that edges more towards horror or gothic vibe, this is for you. Because the focus was there, I think it's fair to say some characterization & motivation remains less explored, and this book isn't really about inner conflict. But be ready for some unforeseen external ones that would keep me from reading this in a cabin in the woods.
3.6, rounded up.
on-hold
August 11, 2024Buddy read with the amazing Gwen
We started out with Haunting Adeline & this can only be a vast improvement
We started out with Haunting Adeline & this can only be a vast improvement
October 31, 2024
"Never go out after dark" and never make the mistake of starting this book on weekdays, just before the usual bedtime. - You will find it very difficult to put it aside.
The story is told alternately from Aubyn's and Alastrom's perspectives. Heather Crews manages to build up an atmosphere - throughout the entire plot - whose spell is hard to escape.
"Blood and death's, Secrets and lies" and a bloodthirsty curse tells the story of the founding families (and their descendants) of White Oak Grove. Alastrom and Aubyn's story is painful and bittersweet at the same time. Their fate is bound together in shadow and blood. Love is not always easy, especially when it is born of hatred, despair, jealousy and longing.
- This was a very good read. Highly recommended.
The story is told alternately from Aubyn's and Alastrom's perspectives. Heather Crews manages to build up an atmosphere - throughout the entire plot - whose spell is hard to escape.
"Blood and death's, Secrets and lies" and a bloodthirsty curse tells the story of the founding families (and their descendants) of White Oak Grove. Alastrom and Aubyn's story is painful and bittersweet at the same time. Their fate is bound together in shadow and blood. Love is not always easy, especially when it is born of hatred, despair, jealousy and longing.
- This was a very good read. Highly recommended.
February 19, 2024
Yaassss.....omg I'm so excited for this. Fangirling hard.
You know what?
Because Heather Crews fucking slays. That's why.
April 3, 2024
I think I’ve found my favorite unhinged, villainous MMC 👀
Part one of this book is a little slower than part two, but it really sets up the atmosphere and the creep factor. Part two is when it really picks up and it’s at exactly 50%.
Part two is such a wonderfully gothic, dark ride! And I really, really, REALLY loved the villainous love interest in part two. He’s everything I look for in an actual villain. Dark, unhinged, with some serious ✨issues✨ I fell right in love with him and I totally understood our FMC’s “I can fix him” thoughts!
This book is so underrated in my opinion. Check it out for a paranormal romance with horror and gothic elements and I dare you not to love the villain!
Part one of this book is a little slower than part two, but it really sets up the atmosphere and the creep factor. Part two is when it really picks up and it’s at exactly 50%.
Part two is such a wonderfully gothic, dark ride! And I really, really, REALLY loved the villainous love interest in part two. He’s everything I look for in an actual villain. Dark, unhinged, with some serious ✨issues✨ I fell right in love with him and I totally understood our FMC’s “I can fix him” thoughts!
This book is so underrated in my opinion. Check it out for a paranormal romance with horror and gothic elements and I dare you not to love the villain!
August 27, 2025
I loved the gothic horror vibes of this book! The suspense, the mystery, the constant misdirects - it was all exceptionally well done. I enjoyed an older heroine who is a single mother, which is a departure from the usual dark romance ingenue. The author did a great job with the creepy and oppressive small town feel. I definitely felt immersed in the story and couldn't wait to finish to see how it all plays out. Most reviews I read really love the MMC in this one and, I have to say, he didn't quite do it for me. The romance overall just didn't really work for me for some reason. This is one of those cases where I came for the romance but stayed for the plot and it was totally worth it.
December 5, 2023
I LOVED this book. It reminded me of the classic gothic romances from Barbara Michaels and Mary Stewart that I adore BUT it was full of delicious smut!
- FMC was great! I really liked her.
- MMC was an absolute DREAM. Exactly the sort of MMC I like best: dark, haunted, cruel, unhinged.
- Story was absolute dynamite directly from a cannon, and hooked me right from the start. Hit SO many gothic beats. *SPOILER* I did want Jasper and Leah to die gruesome deaths :( But maybe that's coming if there's a sequel.
Basically an instant classic of the genre.
- FMC was great! I really liked her.
- MMC was an absolute DREAM. Exactly the sort of MMC I like best: dark, haunted, cruel, unhinged.
- Story was absolute dynamite directly from a cannon, and hooked me right from the start. Hit SO many gothic beats. *SPOILER* I did want Jasper and Leah to die gruesome deaths :( But maybe that's coming if there's a sequel.
Basically an instant classic of the genre.
Want to read
September 11, 2023
Why is it always some other bitch moving to a vampire-infested town where she'll be pestered by sexy evil supernatural men and not me? IT SHOULD BE ME! IT. SHOULD. BE. ME. ( •̀ - •́ )
April 5, 2024
Wowwwww.
A curse on the town. Literal stolen hearts. A messed up love triangle.
This book had it all.
This is a new to me author but I can not wait to do a deep dive into everything else she has!!!
A curse on the town. Literal stolen hearts. A messed up love triangle.
This book had it all.
This is a new to me author but I can not wait to do a deep dive into everything else she has!!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews