The Temptation of Charlotte North

by Camilla Bruce

A rebellious young woman desperate to escape her predetermined life joins forces with an unlikely ally—a sinister spirit—in this dark gothic fantasy from the acclaimed author of At the Bottom of the Garden.

Be careful what you wish for. It might come true . . .

In 1910, on a small, remote island that boasts more sheep than people, life does not hold a lot of promise for spirited Charlotte North. Her only escape from both this insular community and a family who does not understand her seems to be through marriage—an institution she is not at all eager to join, given the unhappiness of her parents' own union. Plus, eligible suitors are few and far between, which is why Charlotte has fallen hard for one the few outsiders to join their community in recent the handsome—and likewise unhappily married—new priest.

And then an ancient tower once rumored to have imprisoned a witch—or an unfaithful wife—crumbles, and releases . . . something. A restless spirit that knocks inside the walls and sends household objects flying. A spirit that seems to have an affinity for Charlotte herself. Though many on the island are terrified of this new interloper, Charlotte sees in it potential. Power. And perhaps even a way to get everything she has most wanted out of life.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Gothic, Fantasy, Adult Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction

448 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 19, 2026

About the author

Camilla Bruce was born in central Norway and grew up in an old forest, next to an Iron Age burial mound. She has a master's degree in comparative literature, and have co-run a small press that published dark fairy tales. Camilla currently lives in Trondheim with her son and cat.

Reviews

[Val~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce, to be published on May 19th, 2026. What a ride! OMG! This story is astounding. It is a paranormal horror book where you get absorbed by the captivating atmosphere from page one. The setting is gloomy and eerie, in a small coastal town with its myths and history. The author does an incredible job submerging the reader in the setting and also in the plot. It's such an extraordinary book. There's so much mystery and intrigue surrounding the characters that you get bewitched by the narrative with its gothic vibes and demonic lure. I would love to read a sequel! Just amazing! 🤩👻💀

[Nicole is Reading Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Temptation of Charlotte North started out strong.

Margaret’s Keep, a small fishing island with superstitious residents and an old tower rumored to have held a mysterious woman captive, is the perfect setting to the story. Coupled with Charlotte’s forbidden and sinful infatuation with the local priest, and her abusive mother, you have a recipe for a fantastic, gothic horror book.

Unfortunately I didn’t feel that enough was accomplished in the book to live up the expectations its premise set. There were three POV’s and a lot of dialogue speculating about what was happening, but very little was actually happening until we reached the last 30%. The consistent, speculative dialogue became a bit tedious and took away from the suspense of the plot.

I believe in supporting women’s wrongs, and I was all for Charlotte and her lustful aspirations, but she did become a fairly unlikable character towards the end of the book and it was hard to root for her.

The setting really carried this book for me, as well as the lore of Margaret’s Tower. The ending was left open-ended and ambiguous, leading me to believe there may be another book. If there is, I’m undecided on whether or not I’ll pick it up.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you so much, NetGalley, for the copy of this book. Unfortunately, I was only able to get 50 pages in before DNF'ing.

Here are my thoughts:
- Very choppy writing (do they have a publisher??)
- It seemed to be unnecessarily descriptive writing, but also jumped all over the place. You went from Charlotte in her cage to drinking tea with a married man that she wanted to get with
- Many sentences started with "but" that could have just been a continuation of the sentence before
- There were SO MANY italicized words. like one in a paragraph. I'm generally not that nitpicky about grammar and writing, but it was so distracting, I couldn't continue. Also a lot of - in the writing as well
- Weird phrases that also caught my attention were when she called herself a "smaller being" and comparing potatoes in her soup to "pale, naked newborns"

After going through and reading the synopsis, I was disappointed that I couldn't get through this book because I loved that idea, but I couldn't get over all of the other things to even see if the premise was creepy or not.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book of horrors in Camilla Bruce's name. Charlotte North was invincible at giving people what they deserved in her mind. Ruth is drawn in to the triangle of the Hills and Charlotte. Charlotte is a 18 year old person in love with the Reverend Hill. She is kept away from Hill when her mother locks the door to the shed with Charlotte inside. What happens is that a tower on the island vanishes in an instant when there's a huge round of earth quakes and Charlotte escapes from the shed to look at the building of the tower that is left. What happens is that a knocker develops and Charlotte gets what she wants. Mr. West comes to look for defects in the soil and gets attacked by the knocker. Several other things happen and then Mr. West moves in with Ruth who is the teacher. They then make a couple to find out that the knocker is a bad killing machine and ends up killing Mrs. Hill. You can guess what happens from there but you may be surprised. Its a very good read.

[Shelby Bozeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds and Inklore for this ARC of The Temptation of Charlotte North. A haunting tale of a woman’s desire for more.
I thoroughly enjoyed this gothic story and its lush descriptions. Camilla Bruce did a fantastic job of transporting me to the wind swept island and setting me front and center for this spooky tale. This book will have you second guessing any bumps in the night!

[Sammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 🌟

First off, thank you, Netgalley and Del Rey, for publishing for the ARC!

Secondly, I'm so sorry for the rating! I wanted to like this book so badly. But overall, it left me pretty disappointed.

The writing was okay, but a bit choppy. I couldn't relate to the characters at all and felt like they were flat overall. I didn't understand why there needed to be multiple POV's. This story could have been a lot stronger with just Charlotte's POV, to be honest.

I liked the horror theme and the elements that were present. That was the only thing that kept me going. I wanted to see if the plot was going to be interesting. It was not, to be honest. I just didn't understand the point of the story...

I was seriously considering to dnf my first book ever.

[Liana Gold]

Sinister spirit, rebellious young woman, a priest and a witch—this gothic fantasy sounds like a good cocktail.

Thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and the author, Camilla Bruce for sending me this eARC!

Publication date: May 19, 2026

[Bihter V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge thanks to NetGalley and author Camilla Bruce for providing me with an advance copy of The Temptation of Charlotte North.

This novel is a haunting and intricately layered tale that masterfully blends gothic atmosphere with elements of the paranormal and psychological horror. The writing is deeply immersive, drawing the reader into a world that feels both eerie and mesmerizing. The setting — a gloomy, desolate island — is described so vividly that it almost becomes a character of its own.

With three pov's, the story unfolds with striking emotional depth. I particularly appreciated how each point of view revealed a different angle of the mystery, adding nuance and weight to the overall narrative. Charlotte’s forbidden infatuation with the island’s priest, Ruth’s story and determination to resolve the mistery, and Jasper’s internal conflict all intertwine to create a dark, thought-provoking exploration of desire, guilt, and repression.

While the story occasionally lingers too long on dialogue and introspection — at times slowing the pace — it never loses its tension or emotional gravity. The prose remains elegant and evocative, and the atmosphere alone is enough to keep readers enthralled until the final page.

A truly captivating read for anyone drawn to gothic fiction layered with moral ambiguity and haunting beauty.

[Nelly]

Should I read it ?Is it worth or the cover is just niccceee !!!

[Allison boozy bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book but sadly, it did not deliver for me. This is the second Gothic horror novel that has not impressed me, so perhaps this genre is just not for me. It started off strong enough, but somehow it just got incredibly boring. I think this was because I did not find myself rooting for any of the characters; pretty much all of the characters fell flat and didn't have much range. Charlotte North was bland and generic and didn't arouse much sympathy from me, not even in the beginning. But I thought I'd stick around for the atmosphere. Turns out, that's all this novel really offered me: atmosphere. It suffers from too many points of view, and the writing was not that great. It was slow-paced and took forever to get off the ground. I really think it would have much more impact had it been 50 pages shorter. But boy did it have atmosphere! The gritty descriptions of the setting were by far the strongest element of the novel, but I still skimmed over the last 25% of the novel. I wanted so much to love this one, and I thought the premise had potential. In the end it was just eh for me. Thanks to NetGalley for generously providing a digital copy. Publishes in May.

[Paige Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

I really enjoyed The Temptation of Charlotte North. The author does a great job at building the environment around Margaret's Keep. You can really imagine the bareness of the small island and transport yourself there while reading. The writing style and the use of Old English also helps take the reader back in time, making this book even more enjoyable.

I enjoyed how the story was laid out and it included a lot of creepy and escalating events to keep the reader engaged. However, I did find it a little slow in the middle and found myself wanting to move forward with the mystery of the Knocker a little faster.

The characters were quite well developed as well and you could really feel the shifts in each of the individuals as different events occurred. Ruth was my absolute favourite; it was nice to have a relatable female main character.

As I finished the book, I found myself wanting more. I can't believe that all of our MC's stories just end where they left off. I would love to see a part 2 to really help wrap this story up more.

[Sharon Melia · Rating 4 out of 5]

First ARC!!

Yes definitely my style of book! Loved the gothic theme the darkness and the characters!!
Enjoyed the horror aspect and I do love a dark themed book.
Very much enjoyed this book happily read it over 2 days ! Good amount of dept of Charlotte really got to know her and her story .
It was creepy and at times had my heart thumping.
The scenic views of imagination of the book was also great I got a good internal view of the island.
Very good read !
Happily recommend !!

[Camil]

Charlotte isn't the only one tempted. I am too for this book.

(Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc)

[takeeveryshot]

we have ed and lorraine warren at home

[Sydnie Sweeney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts out solid, peaking intrigue, but then becomes creepy in a perverted way. My final review is at the ending past these detailed spoilers. The girl is clearly groomed, or just weak willed, and falls in love with the Reverend. Going so far as to say she touches herself to the thought of him. She left him gifts, was discovered, and she was essentially told they could no longer work together. Charlotte is singled out by her mother, we assume because she "sees things" in the graveyard. She is frequently punished and locked in a shed outside for an undisclosed amount of time. Her sisters do not receive the same punishments for their own "mischief". An earthquake hits the island they are on and panels on the side of the shed she's locked in come loose. She escapes and investigates the "witch tower" that fell in the earth quake. The narrative continues and honestly come across boring. Finally events start occurring. She accidentally stabs herself in her finger with a sewing needle and wakes to it terribly infected. The girl then continues to find sewing needles all around her, in her food, her bed. Eventually we learn the needles were dropped by some entity. Charlotte and her sisters begin communicating with this entity, as it responds with knocking. We learn it can manipulate objects around them. Their mothers gets angry, shoving Charlotte in the shed again, where the entity follows. It gives her food which she has been denied. She decides to set up what we would consider an ouiji board to communicate further with it. The entity starts to attack anyone who visits the Norths. The father calls a geologist to study the earthquake and he is run out by the entity. He later claims to Ruth, the islands teacher, that it was a demon, hung upside down with red eyes. The Reverend comes to the home and decides what would be best for Charlotte is for her to say with him and his wife, who he has a turbulent relationship with. The first night in the home Jasper is already feeling an uncomfortable pull toward Charlotte and he is aware of the demons presence in his own home. A psychiatrist comes to aid her because they believe she is disturbed. The psychologist comes to the conclusion, after assaulting Charlotte, that she must have spontaneous telekinesis. The doctor was sent away and we learn his carriage has suddenly toppled over on the way back to the harbor. The entity is bothering the reverend wife now, leaving needles in her bed, not letting her sleep. Finally Jasper succumbs to the temptation of having easy access to Charlotte and comes to her in the night. Antonia, the Reverends wife, is now dead at this point, at the hands of the demon. It takes on the form of Charlotte, mirroring her. She insists they wed now, in case she carries his child, as he can't stop coming to her each night. No one can visit the Reverends house because they or their carriage will be pelted with soil, deterred from approaching. The teacher and geologist have formed a relationship, and together are bringing in a new Reverend. Alexander is adamant they can drive out the demon. The knocker (demon entity) is now merged with Charlotte, inside her. The new Reverend is very forward and knowledgeable of possession. He can smell the demon in her. They know they will be locked up again. With panic comes loss of control, and now the reverend is dead. Charlotte and Jasper flee the island knowing no one will believe it was a demonic entity that took Alexander's life. Ruth and Benjamin decide to dedicate their lives to being demonic detectives, finding and trapping other demons and hopfully tracking down Charlotte's Knocker.

In all this is a weird book. Similar to haunting movies where nothing happens the whole movie and suddenly in the last ten minutes everything just becomes violent and hectic. I didn't hate it, but definitely didn't love it. I felt there was a lot of wasted narrative that could be cut down. I truthfully felt like I could have just skipped to chapter 34 and finished from there. It pretty much explains everything that occurred supernaturally and the plot starts to pick up. I'm definitely frustrated it didn't have a conclusive ending and it wasn't really enthralling enough for me to be eager for a second book.

[Rhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the DRC of The Temptation of Charlotte North that enabled me to write this review.

The blurb for this book was so interesting, but the novel itself fails to fully live up to the potential I saw there. Camilla Bruce's prose is certainly good enough to deliver on that potential had the book been as tightly focussed as the advertising copy makes it out to be - when it works, it REALLY works, but a litany of spelling and grammar issues brought me out of the world at an unreasonable frequency, and made me wonder if the book even had an editor. Knowing that the author is Norwegian does make these mistakes understandable but they really should've been caught in the first round of editing. Beyond what was described in the blurb, there were two other points of view, one more strongly connected to the titular Charlotte North than the other. I won't go as far as to say that the latter's plotlines were always irrelevant and uninteresting, but the book I picked up is not what was indicated by the description of it.

The messaging was both confused and confusing. I think Bruce wanted the novel to be a "good for her"/"supporting women's wrongs" pseudo-feminist text, but it ended up becoming somewhat anti-feminist in the process? There were two characters who were dead set on not getting married, and both ended up engaged by the end of the book. I found one example to be particularly egregious, it came across as her j"ust not having found the right man yet", but at least the romance between those two characters was believable; Charlotte and Reverend Hill's relationship, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to swallow. While there were a lot of well described and generally well realised women and girls in the story, (and are in fact the majority of the characters) Mrs North comes across as entirely unreasonable, and Mrs Hill's stillbirth and infertility making her "crazy" and "difficult" left a bad taste in my mouth.

The Gothic horror overall was pretty solid, but I can't quite decide whether or not Charlotte's lack of reaction to some of the more shocking actions the knocker takes is strange or indicative of how far she's fallen to its seduction.

Overall I found the experience to be decent, not great. There were some pretty high highs, but not enough to overcome some of the lows. Some of these are things that can be fixed before publication however, and I hope that the final version provides a better experience than I had. I'm glad that I ended up finishing the book, I did enjoy much of it and the sequel hook at the end for Miss Russell and Mr West was intriguing, but I think Charlotte deserved better than this book gave her.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The novel started off very promisingly, with an extremely gothic setting of our protagonist, Charlotte North, locked in a shed of the manor of her house for her perceived transgressions against her mother and her passion for the married pastor of the island. Since her youth, she has seen ghosts, and when an earthquake lets the spirit of the local haunted tower loose, needles rain down and all hell loose breaks loose in the manor. In the beginning, the poltergeist-like shenanigans around the house put me in mind of Sarah Water's The Little Stranger, and the island and manor is delightfully spooky, but unfortunately, the erratic pacing of the novel and the split POV's ruin the effect.

Sometimes the novel moves incredibly quickly, just glossing over the aftereffects of the spirit running loose in the manor while egged on by Charlotte, and sometimes the pacing stymies to a frustratingly slow mire. This is not helped by the fact that it quickly becomes obvious that Charlotte is less tormented by the spirit than in cahoots with it, but the other POV's spend an inordinate amount of time agonizing over the question of whether or not Charlotte is the one egging the spirit on. The POV of the schoolteacher on the island is kind of jarring, and her romance with the geologist extremely abrupt.

I enjoyed the relationship between Charlotte and her sisters, but that completely falls to the wayside by the end of the novel. In addition, at the start of the novel, you're definitely on Charlotte's side about how abusive and overbearing her mother is towards her, and it's somewhat implied that her mother is the way she is due to her own upbringing. I thought that this would be an exploration into the cycle of abuse, but this plot point also falls by the wayside, and by the end, it almost seems like the book wants you to think that Charlotte's mother had a point in thinking that Charlotte was born wrong. The ending was very strange and somewhat jarring since Charlotte's POV is a very dark and gothic ending, but the novel actually ends of the schoolteacher's POV, which seemed more like "oh this is the start of a new adventure."

All in all, I'm not entirely sure what story this book was trying to tell. Still, points for the initial gothic setting, the creepy foreboding atmosphere, and the sister dynamics.

[Leyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey for letting me have this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review <3

this book started out with a strong premise and strong story. the setting and atmosphere in The Tempation of Charlotte North are just chef's kiss. im such a sucker for secluded places in horror media as well as those typical small town superstitions, and Camilla Bruce absolutely nails that eerie, gothic isolation. the writing is beautiful and tense at times in a way that makes you feel both captivated while also deeply uncomfortable at the same time.

we follow multiple POVs throughout the book and its so fun seeing whats happening across the different corners of the island; and how every person and story, in one way or another, ties back to the same people and tragedy. its unsettling in the best way and at times i found myself completely creeped out, and other times equally frustrated by the story and Charlotte.

unfortunately, there was something that just fell a bit short for me. its hard to put my finger on. im usually a big supporter of women's rights (and wrongs), but every now and again theres one of those characters where they take it a tad too far and you find yourself just annoyed and disgusted by their actions - which is where i, disappointingly, found myself with Charlotte. this paired with the feeling of the book going on a bit longer than maybe necessary to my liking may have contributed to it falling short. i feel like some of the tension couldve hit harder had it been a bit shorter as i found myself at times wanting to skip ahead or feeling like certain things dragged on a bit.

all that being said .. MS. RUSSEL AND MR. WEST, MY BELOVEDS! ah, dont get me started! the biggest gifts from this story. i adored their dynamic so much it physically hurt. and Camilla Bruce, if by any miracle you see this - PLEASEEEE give us a book that follows their story after The Temptation of Charlotte North. i would pre-order that instantly and devour it. i need more of those two and i need to know how the rest of their story goes.

let me end it all by saying; despite what fell a bit short for me i really do recommend reading this book. if youre a fan of gothic settings, remote places, small town superstition or eerie and creepy atmosphere; this really is the book for you!

[Jason Lavoie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and Inklore for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce. This novel is to be published on May 19, 2026.

On a small remote island, Margaret’s Keep, strange sinister happenings begin to occur once Margaret’s Tower collapses into the sea during an earthquake. Everything is named after Margaret. The island, the tower, the schoolhouse, the grocery store, the trawlers. Everything. Margaret, the locals claim, is a witch. Maybe she’s just an adulteress with a wandering eye. No one really knows the truth.

The story is primarily about Charlotte North. She’s the second eldest daughter of the North family. Her parents, and eldest sister, want her to go to the mainland to find a suitor, get married and discontinue being a thorn, or needle, in her mother’s side. Granted, her mother is an A-hole. But a knowing one.

The story is told from three perspectives: Charlotte’s; the reverend, Jasper Hill; and the schoolteacher, Ruth Russel. Charlotte is thoroughly aroused by the reverend. That’s not her only temptation. Reverend Hill is so despicable you’d swear he was a Catholic priest. Ruth is deemed meddlesome but she may be one of the very few redeemable characters.

Charlotte was an interesting, humorous character…until she’s not. It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Or life.

This novel is atmospheric with a touch of gothic horror. For me, I found it read more as a historical novel and the supernatural elements were rather amusing. Beautifully written and it captures the 1900’s perfectly from the landscape to the townsfolk.

I likened the dark entity to the Babadook. Maybe you just have to learn to co-exist. Half-way through, you have an idea who or what it is and maybe that acts as a precursor to the conclusion.

Of my 41 ARCs, I intentionally left this for last unsure of the enjoyment I’d have based on other reviews. It was the longest which made it seem daunting to read. Considering I’m a lenient reviewer, I need to disregard the opinions of others. It was a hard read to put down. Immensely and thoroughly enjoyed.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly thank you NetGalley for this ARC, I have written this with as little information to the storyline as to avoid any spoilers.

Secondly this is my first Camilla Bruce book and I am in awe!

This book is a haunting and atmospheric paranormal horror that grips you from the first page and does not let go. As the blurb states it is set in 1910 on a remote island where sheep outnumber people, we follow Charlotte North, a young woman trapped who feels trapped in community and family. We’re on a small island, gothic and eerie, it’s seeped it history and mystery dating back centuries.

I found Bruce’s writing accessible and immersive, I was pulled in from the start, I found the blurry lines of gothic paranormal and reality captivating the ambiguity of the novel was one of the highlights for me.

The shifting perspectives, add depth to the narrative, though not without flaws. There is a slight jarring feel which on one hand does pull away from the main point of the story which felt slightly like an afterthought due to its lack of dimension. I also found the pacing to be off gear, sometimes it was slow to get through and others felt like everything happened at one. I will say though I feel like whilst the pacing did feel off it did also work just due to the nature of the story.

I really enjoyed the relationship between the characters in this, I liked how twisted they felt, everything was slightly off and nothing seemed perfect. There was complexities, strain and engagement. I do wish some aspects such as the abuse didn’t fade away as it did. I thought it tied in perfectly with the judgment and morality questions that came later on but it did fall flat in this for me.

But I will be honest I thought this was great, it may not have been a five star but I highly recommend this and this will not be my only Bruce novel I will be picking up more.

[Chloe MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having flicked through some of the reviews here prior to leaving my own- I feel almost defensive of this book as I just do not agree with some of the points that have been made! (Which is the beauty of literature, I’m aware)

I really did enjoy this book. It’s the first book in a good while I’ve looked forward to curling up in bed and finding out where the story is going next. The bleak, gothic tone was the perfect amount of bleak and gothic without becoming “boring” for me. The multiple POVs helped progress the story whilst adding dimension to the situation and characters, which we would not have experienced had we only one protagonist.

Overall, I found this a pleasant read and would definitely pick up more from this author. I docked 1 star as I do feel like Charlotte’s ending felt a bit “rushed” and wasn’t all that satisfying in terms of closure. There may well be a sequel though. I’d be down for that.


**Spoilers below, don’t read further if you don’t want to know spoiler details**

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My favourite part of this book, and what sets it apart from other “possession” or “haunting” stories for me is that Charlotte embraced the knocker. I love how she slowly descended into a much darker character when she realised the power the knocker could grant her. She is sneaky and manipulative and I think that made for such a good spin on the classic narrative. I started off feeling really sorry for her given the treatment she received from her mother. But I was totally on board with the “screw you” attitude she adopted when she realised if she was going to be blamed for the knockers actions regardless, she may well actually be responsible for them. I loved that take!


Thank you NetGalley, Del Rey and Camilla Bruce for granting access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[The Starry Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce is a gothic mystery set on an isolated island where danger lives inside of the repressed and abused.

In 1900, on a remote island, Charlotte North is a young woman smitten with the local married priest much to the dismay of her family. They punish her and try to everything they can to limit her freedoms. When a local legend involving a cursed witch crumbles before the islanders' eyes, Charlotte finds an ally in the escaped spirit and the two become a powerful force to be reckoned with, threatening the safety and stability of the community.

I really enjoyed this story. The creepy atmosphere and sense of foreboding gripped every page and had me whizzing though the book. The story had a provocative storyline, with a young woman and married priest having a scandalous relationship. Charlotte's awakening into womanhood involving a spirit was a clever way to explore coming of age themes- how complicated feelings, desires, and lust can feel uncontrollable and can make one do reckless things. Charlotte's obsession with the spirit becomes the only way for her to escape her restricted life, and live free and independently, with a heavy price to pay for her actions.

Repression and possession haunt each of the characters in this story, with temptation and fear the entities worming their way into the hearts and minds of the guilty and ashamed. If you like gothic stories that have the right balance between supernatural and psychological themes, I would highly recommend The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce is a lush gothic romance, set in 1910 on a small, remote island. Charlotte North is a young, spirited woman who doesn't fit in with her family or community. Escape is unlikely, unless she marries on the mainland. A young, handsome, but married reverend joins the community, and Charlotte is immediately drawn to him, setting on a path to freedom or ruin.

One day, Margaret's tower, an ancient structure, once rumored to have been the prison of a witch or an unfaithful wife, crumbles, and something changes on the island. A restless spirit that knocks within the walls and sends objects flying is suddenly on the loose, and it seems particularly attracted to Charlotte. But is it a friend or a foe?

Thanks so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce, to be published on May 19th, 2026.

I was sucked in from the first page - the setting is haunting, the writing style and the language are eerie, with strange metaphors that work well to create an unsettling atmosphere. All the characters have their secrets and flaws. Through the plot and the community, the author explores age-old themes of women's independence, marriage, love, faithfulness, and superstition. I found it particularly interesting that Charlotte starts out as a sympathetic main character, but by the end, her growth is not necessarily positive. I really liked some of the side characters and would love to read more about them.

The ending was also interesting- open-ended and ambiguous, and at the same time, not necessitating a sequel. Still, if another book is coming, I will definitely pick it up.


Thank you, Netgalley and Del Ray/Random House/Inklore, for the ARC!

[Weronika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric—that's the first word I think about when thinking about "The Temptation of Charlotte North." The novel begins with Charlotte locked in solitary confinement by her mother; and the sense of her isolation is doubled once we learn that she lives on an island—lonely, bored, confined by her gender and time and the expectations of her family. In her solitude, Charlotte develops a crush on the island's new, young reverend (priest) Jasper who is married: and gets further punished for me once his wife and her mother sense her infatuation. Then, in her frustration, Charlotte calls out to something... dangerous and mysterious things begin to happen. The novel has multiple POVs: of Charlotte's teacher Ruth (a welcome and more mature pov) and of Jasper himself. Out of them, he felt the most underdeveloped: I would have liked his voice to vary more and for him to have a more distinct and morally grey personality. Is he grooming Charlotte? Is she seducing him? Is it supposed to be ambivalent (it is but it is not convincing with the double POV)? I wish these dynamics were sharper and bolder, especially with how morally grey Charlotte could be (but also a teenager with all emotions and some innocence!) The historical setting was done VERY well, with all the oppression and claustrophobia and bleakness Charlotte/women suffered and with a lot of women-against-women hate (and Ruth’s compassion!) and patriarchy. I just wish everything - from pacing to characters - was bolder and sharper since the novel felt both bland and slow at times and had a promise to be excellent!

I thank Netgalley and Del Rey for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennevieve Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely absorbed by The Temptation of Charlotte North. It has a dark, gothic pulse running through it that had me hooked.
We follow Charlotte North, a young woman living on a tiny island in 1910, where the sheep outnumber the people and her future feels painfully small. Her fascination with the new priest brings its own tension, but it’s the collapse of the old tower and the release of a restless spirit that change everything. The haunting itself is wonderfully ambiguous. It’s never just a “ghost in the walls.” It becomes a mirror, a force, a temptation, something that sharpens Charlotte’s own hunger for freedom and power. I enjoyed Charlotte as a character; I'm always drawn to morally grey female leads.
What stood out most to me was the eerie, ambiguous setting. There’s no fixed place and that lack of definition gives the whole story another layer of unease.
The pacing is excellent, the tension never lets up, and the tone has that perfect gothic horror balance of beauty and dread. I didn’t want it to end, but I also couldn’t stop reading. As soon as I finished, I went straight to look for more of Camilla Bruce’s work.

A brilliant, haunting and original read. If you like morally complex women and atmospheric horror then I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Camilla Bruce and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the chance to read it in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Jensen McCorkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 2.5 Rounded up

This novel blends gothic unease and a brooding slow building dread. There’s an overwhelming feel of isolation intertwined with myths and stories fueled by gossip and small community judgement. It starts of strong, dripping with gloom and building suspense. It appears we have strong women and who fight to carve out their space, asserting their strength and intelligence, only wanting more for themselves. But as the story goes on it seems the women really end up falling back into line becoming engaged. Was honestly expecting more of a feminist empowering aspect to the story.

The narrative builds toward a psychologically confrontation between Charlotte’s sense of self and the voice/knocker that claims to own her. The knocker or the voice becomes Charlotte’s companion. A presence she can’t see but feels everywhere. Eventually she must decide to fight for her autonomy or surrender. In a sense the knocker really just seems to take the place of a husband.

Bruce crafts an atmosphere thick with dread but the story just fell short for me. Charlotte’s passivity is disappointing. I kept waiting for her to break free. Ambiguity becomes both a strength and sense of frustration in the story. Nothing is every really made clear. I guess I just crave something sharper or more definitive.

[Sennehs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Del Rey/Random House and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The descriptive prose in this novel is lush and it provides the atmosphere required for a gothic suspense novel.

Each main character is truly an integral part of the whole tale and they are fully realized. The multiple POV added great depth and was not confusing, as everyone is clearly delineated by chapter.

The “will they or won’t they” of Jasper and Charlotte’s dance was suspenseful. Mrs. North is written superbly (I found I disliked her immensely). The bleakness of the island almost becomes its own sinister character. Also, Charlotte’s development throughout the book is marvelous, and her relationship with the Knocker has great intensity.

The poltergeist activities were simple but entertaining and apt for the setting. Having the clergy as part of a book with a haunting was nothing new, but the way it was introduced was. Some occurrences were predictable but that did not render them any less interesting.

I do have to say this book started out amazing, but there were sections where pacing was a bit stagnant. With that said, did I think I needed to be as long as it is? Absolutely no. And I can’t pinpoint why, but for some reason I didn’t care for the ending.

[Sandrine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 ⭐️
Unfortunately, this book was such a let down. Charlotte is a 17 years old girl and her POVs are childish. The POVs from Jasper and Ruth didn’t bring much to the story. When I read stories with entities, I like how there’s tension, how the MCs are scared of this entity/demon. That was not the case in this book. Charlotte is not really scared of the knocker and invites it to share her life. She is also obsessed with the reverend Jasper Hill, which is just so weird considering she’s 17 and him much older. Truthfully, I did not understand what this story wanted to bring. That you need an entity/demon to deceive everybody and make your own choices ?? It’s a pity because the synopsis seemed very promising and interesting . But not much was happening until the end and I didn’t like any of the characters. I finished this book solely I hate DNFing and I wanted to see if the ending would make it better, but it didn’t not.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book. Opinions are my own.

[kumori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was like watching an indie horror movie where nothing scary really happens for most of its runtime, no jump scares even for the thrill of it and everybody in it just having monologue or talking with each other under deceitful calm and sinister atmosphere. Yes it reminds me a little of Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass particulary because of the isolated island setting and its little peaceful community with their superstitious inclination especially about a certain abandonrd old tower. One day due to an earthquake that tower collapses and as a consequence an entity get loose among them and latch itself to a rebellious 17 year old Charlotte. It's not long until they struck an alliance because of their mutual need of each other and wreak havoc on the island.

Pros : loved the (very) atmospheric gloomy setting, and the multiple POVs get the benefit of its 450 pages for their characters development.

Cons : i can't see the gothic angle though unless it is only to interpret traditional gothic themes through a feminist lens?

Thank you to Netgalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds and Inklore for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's 3.5 rounded to 4 🌟 for me

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Camilla Bruce has truly outdone herself with this eerie, captivating story! Set on a hauntingly beautiful island in 1910, the atmosphere is steeped in gothic vibes that drew me in from the very first page.

The plot centers around Charlotte, who finds herself locked in a shed by her mother,just as an earthquake rocks the island. The tension escalates when a tower, shrouded in mystery and local folklore about a banished witch, dramatically collapses into the sea. The locals, believing the tower to be cursed, are strangely satisfied by its fall, adding layers of intrigue and superstition to the narrative.

Bruce masterfully weaves together multiple stories, each thread enriching the gothic ambiance and leaving you eager to unravel more. The vivid descriptions and well-crafted characters pull you deeper into the eerie world, making it impossible to put the book down.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Camilla Bruce for the ARC. My review reflects my honest opinion.

Mark your calendars for May 19th, 2026! This is one tale you won’t want to miss! 📚✨