What do you think?
Rate this book
The Temptation of Charlotte North
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26A 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.
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.
448 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 19, 2026
18 people are currently reading
8042 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
November 24, 2025
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! 🤩👻💀
November 4, 2025
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.
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.
September 22, 2025
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.
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.
March 4, 2026
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.
I read it a second time and I was ensnared in it as I was the first time.
I read it a second time and I was ensnared in it as I was the first time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2025
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!
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!
November 4, 2025
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.
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.
Want to Read
October 13, 2025Sinister 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
Thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and the author, Camilla Bruce for sending me this eARC!
Publication date: May 19, 2026
November 13, 2025
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.
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.
Want to Read
September 22, 2025Should I read it ?Is it worth or the cover is just niccceee !!!
April 3, 2026
➸ 3.75★
Huge thanks go out to NetGalley and Camilla Bruce for letting me read this wonderful eARC!
The Temptation of Charlotte North is a gothic historical horror novel, following our titular MC Charlotte. Living on a small, remote island with her three sisters, her strict father and abusive mother, life doesn't seem all too promising for our rebellious protagonist. The residents of Margaret's Keep are inherently superstitious and pious people. Subsequently, her mother often locks Charlotte into the shed as a form of disciplinary punishment. At the start of the story, Charlotte is sent to said shed because of her obvious infatuation with the married Reverend Hill. One day, while again confined in the small shack, an earthquake destroys the ancient tower, and Charlotte escapes her enclosure to explore the remains of Margaret's Keep. That's pretty much all you need to know before you start this excellent novel.
The story is told in three perspectives: 1. Charlotte, 2. Ruth Russel, the unmarried and science-driven schoolteacher and 3. Jasper Hill, the reverend. My personal favourite POV was Miss Russel's, because of her rationality and just overall likability. But let's not be hasty, I will do what I so often do and split, up my review into parts.
Let us begin with the prose + setting. I generally enjoyed Bruce's writing style. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of the island, as well as the gothic elements she embedded into her prose and overall story. The vibes are bleak, cold and entirely eerie with a splash of icy sea water. Sometimes I did feel like the writing got slightly choppy and/or repetitive, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment because of the ever-present feeling of suspense that kept me wanting to go on reading. All in all, very well done in my opinion.
Let's move on to the characters. I am not sure if we were supposed to root for Charlotte until the very end, but I choose to believe that her development is not meant to make us like her. I didn't love her at the start of the novel, and all the empathy I had for her left me after about 60% of the book. I'm unsure if that was the point, but I liked it in a way since I don't share the opinion that a character should always be likeable. I don't want to spoil anything, but the blurb already mentions Charlotte's infatuation with Reverend Hill so I will slightly elaborate my thoughts on them. The way their relationship evolved was believable and incredibly well-written in my opinion, but it made me hate Charlotte at times (as well as the Reverend tbh). I enjoyed his POV more than Charlotte's sometimes, I just love reading about a man of the cloth struggling with his faith and self-discipline. The romance side-plot was sweet, didn't really make me feel a lot because we don't spend that much time with the two characters falling in love with each other. Again, didn't bother me since it's not a main point of the story (I will not reveal who I'm talking about bc spoilers). Anyway, well-written characters, believable dynamics, big yes from me.
And finally, the plot itself. Such a compelling story, I didn't feel bored once. It was so entertaining to read about the entity that escapes the tower and goes on to build a bond with Charlotte, while making life hell for everyone else. That whole storyline was crafted marvellously, and some of the reveals were quite satisfying to read, even though I could predict a few of the twists. The ending left me wanting for more, but not necessarily in a good way. We're introduced to a new character, just for them to be killed off a few pages later, and while that might have been a way to escalate the story, I did not enjoy it. Then everything happens so fast and we don't get a real conclusion to what's happening (I like open endings, but this felt more like the author is leaving space to write a sequel, idk I might be hallucinating, it's late).
Overall, I would've given The Temptation of Charlotte North 4★, but since I didn't love the ending I lowered it a bit (I mean Goodreads only has full stars so I technically gave it 4★ here, but just know that the story graph rating will be 3.75★).
Nevertheless, if you like dark and alluring, macabre and tense stories with ominous vibes and intriguing characters, who face evils beyond human comprehension, I would strongly recommend The Temptation of Charlotte North!
Huge thanks go out to NetGalley and Camilla Bruce for letting me read this wonderful eARC!
The Temptation of Charlotte North is a gothic historical horror novel, following our titular MC Charlotte. Living on a small, remote island with her three sisters, her strict father and abusive mother, life doesn't seem all too promising for our rebellious protagonist. The residents of Margaret's Keep are inherently superstitious and pious people. Subsequently, her mother often locks Charlotte into the shed as a form of disciplinary punishment. At the start of the story, Charlotte is sent to said shed because of her obvious infatuation with the married Reverend Hill. One day, while again confined in the small shack, an earthquake destroys the ancient tower, and Charlotte escapes her enclosure to explore the remains of Margaret's Keep. That's pretty much all you need to know before you start this excellent novel.
The story is told in three perspectives: 1. Charlotte, 2. Ruth Russel, the unmarried and science-driven schoolteacher and 3. Jasper Hill, the reverend. My personal favourite POV was Miss Russel's, because of her rationality and just overall likability. But let's not be hasty, I will do what I so often do and split, up my review into parts.
Let us begin with the prose + setting. I generally enjoyed Bruce's writing style. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of the island, as well as the gothic elements she embedded into her prose and overall story. The vibes are bleak, cold and entirely eerie with a splash of icy sea water. Sometimes I did feel like the writing got slightly choppy and/or repetitive, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment because of the ever-present feeling of suspense that kept me wanting to go on reading. All in all, very well done in my opinion.
Let's move on to the characters. I am not sure if we were supposed to root for Charlotte until the very end, but I choose to believe that her development is not meant to make us like her. I didn't love her at the start of the novel, and all the empathy I had for her left me after about 60% of the book. I'm unsure if that was the point, but I liked it in a way since I don't share the opinion that a character should always be likeable. I don't want to spoil anything, but the blurb already mentions Charlotte's infatuation with Reverend Hill so I will slightly elaborate my thoughts on them. The way their relationship evolved was believable and incredibly well-written in my opinion, but it made me hate Charlotte at times (as well as the Reverend tbh). I enjoyed his POV more than Charlotte's sometimes, I just love reading about a man of the cloth struggling with his faith and self-discipline. The romance side-plot was sweet, didn't really make me feel a lot because we don't spend that much time with the two characters falling in love with each other. Again, didn't bother me since it's not a main point of the story (I will not reveal who I'm talking about bc spoilers). Anyway, well-written characters, believable dynamics, big yes from me.
And finally, the plot itself. Such a compelling story, I didn't feel bored once. It was so entertaining to read about the entity that escapes the tower and goes on to build a bond with Charlotte, while making life hell for everyone else. That whole storyline was crafted marvellously, and some of the reveals were quite satisfying to read, even though I could predict a few of the twists. The ending left me wanting for more, but not necessarily in a good way. We're introduced to a new character, just for them to be killed off a few pages later, and while that might have been a way to escalate the story, I did not enjoy it. Then everything happens so fast and we don't get a real conclusion to what's happening (I like open endings, but this felt more like the author is leaving space to write a sequel, idk I might be hallucinating, it's late).
Overall, I would've given The Temptation of Charlotte North 4★, but since I didn't love the ending I lowered it a bit (I mean Goodreads only has full stars so I technically gave it 4★ here, but just know that the story graph rating will be 3.75★).
Nevertheless, if you like dark and alluring, macabre and tense stories with ominous vibes and intriguing characters, who face evils beyond human comprehension, I would strongly recommend The Temptation of Charlotte North!
February 18, 2026
I want to thank both Del Rey and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of The Temptation of Charlotte North – this is my honest review.
There’s plenty of promising material here: the concept of the knocker, the legend surrounding Margaret's Keep’s tower, and the island setting itself have strong potential for eerie, compelling storytelling. When described well, the island and keep create a vivid backdrop, and the core ideas behind the narrative are genuinely captivating.
That said, the execution has its shortcomings. While the setting’s potential is clear, the atmosphere never quite delivers the intended creepiness. Character development is uneven: Ruth the spinster schoolteacher stands out as the most interesting and well-rounded narrator, growing from an observant bystander to a determined participant with a satisfying arc. In contrast, Charlotte starts strong but feels inconsistent – her fixation on a married reverend clashes with the blurb’s emphasis on her desire to avoid marriage as her only path, and her eventual shift in priorities is hard to believe. Jasper, the reverend, is difficult to connect with; though his grief over losing a pregnancy and hope for his wife’s recovery are understandable, his comfort in being admired by a teen in his flock and resulting conflict with his bitter spouse left me feeling more sympathy for his wife than for him. His arc concludes with him weakened by the devil possessing Charlotte, his wife gone and him reduced to something of a puppet. Overall, I found it hard to feel invested in most of the characters or their fates.
Pacing is another issue: roughly 20% to 60% of the story drags unnecessarily, though strange and intriguing elements scattered throughout help maintain some engagement. The ending, by contrast, feels rushed, and hints at a potential continuation – while I’m unsure if I’d follow the story further, there’s clear potential that could be realized in future installments.
3.75/5 stars
There’s plenty of promising material here: the concept of the knocker, the legend surrounding Margaret's Keep’s tower, and the island setting itself have strong potential for eerie, compelling storytelling. When described well, the island and keep create a vivid backdrop, and the core ideas behind the narrative are genuinely captivating.
That said, the execution has its shortcomings. While the setting’s potential is clear, the atmosphere never quite delivers the intended creepiness. Character development is uneven: Ruth the spinster schoolteacher stands out as the most interesting and well-rounded narrator, growing from an observant bystander to a determined participant with a satisfying arc. In contrast, Charlotte starts strong but feels inconsistent – her fixation on a married reverend clashes with the blurb’s emphasis on her desire to avoid marriage as her only path, and her eventual shift in priorities is hard to believe. Jasper, the reverend, is difficult to connect with; though his grief over losing a pregnancy and hope for his wife’s recovery are understandable, his comfort in being admired by a teen in his flock and resulting conflict with his bitter spouse left me feeling more sympathy for his wife than for him. His arc concludes with him weakened by the devil possessing Charlotte, his wife gone and him reduced to something of a puppet. Overall, I found it hard to feel invested in most of the characters or their fates.
Pacing is another issue: roughly 20% to 60% of the story drags unnecessarily, though strange and intriguing elements scattered throughout help maintain some engagement. The ending, by contrast, feels rushed, and hints at a potential continuation – while I’m unsure if I’d follow the story further, there’s clear potential that could be realized in future installments.
3.75/5 stars
January 15, 2026
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.
December 28, 2025
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.
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.
September 27, 2025
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 !!
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 !!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Currently Reading
October 1, 2025Charlotte 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)
(Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc)
Read
December 12, 2025we have ed and lorraine warren at home
September 26, 2025
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.
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.
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.
November 21, 2025
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
A creepy and interesting take on demonic possession (or perhaps ghosts?), The Temptation of Charlotte North is a great historical fiction horror.
This is one of those historical fictions that really nails the time period aspect. The writing is a little stiff, actually, but I found that made it seem more authentic, as despite how great some books from the late 1800s/early 1900s are, they tend to be less fluid than books today. And I really enjoy older gothic tales, so that might be why this one resonated with me.
It won’t be scary enough to please horror fans - there is some creepy stuff, but no gore or really any jump scares. In truth, this book is a Gothic fiction vs a horror. It has a lot of the tropes of the genre, including sexual awakening, an isolated setting, and it focuses on women.
The setting is fun - a small island off the coast of somewhere. In the author’s bio, she’s from Norway, so now I’m presuming it’s set there. I could have used a few more descriptions of the island itself, but given 90% of the book takes place in two houses, waxing poetic about the landscape might have seemed off-topic.
Charlotte herself is interesting because she changes a lot over the course of the book. She goes from a lovesick, stubborn girl to a cunning young woman. Whether her arc is the result of the supernatural element is left up to debate, which I thought was an interesting tactic. The book is multi-POV, and as such she also morphs from the heroine of the story to passing that torch to someone else (I thought this was a cool twist). We also get a third perspective, which was useful is guilding this transition (and explaining a few things).
The best character is Ruth, whom I really liked. Her story had more to it than I expected, and I also shipped her and another character very hard. In truth, their love story took over my interest for a lot of it, and while the set-up was a bit obvious, their love felt earned and satisfying.
The book also features a little bit of digging into what or why the supernatural element exists, which I always adore. There’s even a bit of a psychological angle, which is intrinsic to Gothic stories.
I peeked at a few other reviews, and I seem to be in the minority with my rating. Yet, I really liked this book. There were some things here and there that could have been tightened, but I enjoyed the slow pace. It feels more like Wilkie Collins than something modern like Starling House. I just thought it had a different trajectory than what we usually get with possession stories, which was great.
Overall, if you’re looking for a strong Gothic story that isn’t scary or gory, this one fits that bill.
A creepy and interesting take on demonic possession (or perhaps ghosts?), The Temptation of Charlotte North is a great historical fiction horror.
This is one of those historical fictions that really nails the time period aspect. The writing is a little stiff, actually, but I found that made it seem more authentic, as despite how great some books from the late 1800s/early 1900s are, they tend to be less fluid than books today. And I really enjoy older gothic tales, so that might be why this one resonated with me.
It won’t be scary enough to please horror fans - there is some creepy stuff, but no gore or really any jump scares. In truth, this book is a Gothic fiction vs a horror. It has a lot of the tropes of the genre, including sexual awakening, an isolated setting, and it focuses on women.
The setting is fun - a small island off the coast of somewhere. In the author’s bio, she’s from Norway, so now I’m presuming it’s set there. I could have used a few more descriptions of the island itself, but given 90% of the book takes place in two houses, waxing poetic about the landscape might have seemed off-topic.
Charlotte herself is interesting because she changes a lot over the course of the book. She goes from a lovesick, stubborn girl to a cunning young woman. Whether her arc is the result of the supernatural element is left up to debate, which I thought was an interesting tactic. The book is multi-POV, and as such she also morphs from the heroine of the story to passing that torch to someone else (I thought this was a cool twist). We also get a third perspective, which was useful is guilding this transition (and explaining a few things).
The best character is Ruth, whom I really liked. Her story had more to it than I expected, and I also shipped her and another character very hard. In truth, their love story took over my interest for a lot of it, and while the set-up was a bit obvious, their love felt earned and satisfying.
The book also features a little bit of digging into what or why the supernatural element exists, which I always adore. There’s even a bit of a psychological angle, which is intrinsic to Gothic stories.
I peeked at a few other reviews, and I seem to be in the minority with my rating. Yet, I really liked this book. There were some things here and there that could have been tightened, but I enjoyed the slow pace. It feels more like Wilkie Collins than something modern like Starling House. I just thought it had a different trajectory than what we usually get with possession stories, which was great.
Overall, if you’re looking for a strong Gothic story that isn’t scary or gory, this one fits that bill.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Temptation of Charlotte North is a gothic tale about a girl who is seemingly haunted by a spirit dubbed "the knocker." While the book achieves a certain level of gothic ambience and has its entertaining moments, the story is far too long, the characters are terrible people, and the ending has next to no climax.
I think the thing that bothered me the most was that Camilla Bruce (the author), in the acknowledgements, states that this book is a nod to "strong-willed women." In what world is Charlotte strong? She's a nasty, vindictive girl who weaponizes her sex drive to hurt the people around her. If she were a strong person, she would find a way to enact her desires without helping people cheat, and she would look more deeply into the essence and character of the spirit that haunts her. What I saw instead was a weak-minded, weak-willed girl who was willing to inflict harm on others to grasp at small shreds of power. This is not a book about strong women. It's a book about women who think that being strong-willed is equivalent to being petty, sexually dishonest, and completely out of integrity. Will isn't simply making something happen because you don't care about how you affect others with your animalistic urges. It is about self-control and self-possession, sans any spirit activity. If anything, Charlotte is weak like her cruel mother, Antonia is weak in terms of how she handles her husband, and Ruth is fluffy and shallow. Ruth has no idea who she is or what she wants for most of the book. If you're going to claim to write about strong-willed women, write some women with inner strength who are in touch with their power. This was not it.
This book left me wondering... Is this really how the "other women" in cheating scandals think? Charlotte is so mentally impoverished as a character that you can't help but feel sorry for her, even though you hate who she is.
I wish the story had been shorter, like novella-length, and had shown Charlotte growing, or at least experiencing deeper consequences for her actions. I didn't feel that the mystery underpinning Margaret's character (the girl in the tower) was fully fleshed out, and it was such a great opportunity for a historical, gothic deep-dive.
Thank you to the publishers at Del Rey and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC. Whether I hate or love a book, I love reading, and I appreciate the privilege of reviewing books before they are released. I think that there is hope for this author, and even this book, with some heavy editing and more writing practice.
I think the thing that bothered me the most was that Camilla Bruce (the author), in the acknowledgements, states that this book is a nod to "strong-willed women." In what world is Charlotte strong? She's a nasty, vindictive girl who weaponizes her sex drive to hurt the people around her. If she were a strong person, she would find a way to enact her desires without helping people cheat, and she would look more deeply into the essence and character of the spirit that haunts her. What I saw instead was a weak-minded, weak-willed girl who was willing to inflict harm on others to grasp at small shreds of power. This is not a book about strong women. It's a book about women who think that being strong-willed is equivalent to being petty, sexually dishonest, and completely out of integrity. Will isn't simply making something happen because you don't care about how you affect others with your animalistic urges. It is about self-control and self-possession, sans any spirit activity. If anything, Charlotte is weak like her cruel mother, Antonia is weak in terms of how she handles her husband, and Ruth is fluffy and shallow. Ruth has no idea who she is or what she wants for most of the book. If you're going to claim to write about strong-willed women, write some women with inner strength who are in touch with their power. This was not it.
This book left me wondering... Is this really how the "other women" in cheating scandals think? Charlotte is so mentally impoverished as a character that you can't help but feel sorry for her, even though you hate who she is.
I wish the story had been shorter, like novella-length, and had shown Charlotte growing, or at least experiencing deeper consequences for her actions. I didn't feel that the mystery underpinning Margaret's character (the girl in the tower) was fully fleshed out, and it was such a great opportunity for a historical, gothic deep-dive.
Thank you to the publishers at Del Rey and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC. Whether I hate or love a book, I love reading, and I appreciate the privilege of reviewing books before they are released. I think that there is hope for this author, and even this book, with some heavy editing and more writing practice.
September 30, 2025
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.
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.
November 11, 2025
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!
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!
December 26, 2025
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First I want to thank both Del Rey and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of The Temptation of Charlotte North, this is my honest review of the book.
I want to say that going into this book I had expected a character with a sort of hunger for life but found something different, the atmosphere of Margaret's Keep gives you a perfect setting and I will say was one of my favorite things, the description of the island was excellent, but... the characters lacked depth in my opinion.
First the one at the center of it all, Charlotte, she started out very promising, but it was soon revealed that she had an obssesion with the reverend who is a married man mind you, but she seemed to care little if at all about that fact, in the blurb for the book it talks about how she doesnt want marriage as her only option but as the story progresses that is what she *spoiler* ends up deciding she wants?? It seemed hard to believe honestly.
Second POV, Jasper, he is a reverend who is married, he is also a grieving father in a way, as him and his wife lost a pregnancy and as a result the wife became barren, so he moves to a distant island on the hope to help his wife recover mentally from this pain, but then when he gets there he finds some solace in being admired by a teen in his flock and as a result starts to have fights with his wife who turns bitter and jealous, honestly I felt more for the poor wife than for Jasper, in the end he is revealed to be weakened by the devil that posseses Charlotte, his wife is gone and he ends kind of a puppet
Thir POV, Ruth the spinster schoolteacher, she was my favorite narrator honestly, she felt interesting, and the most well rounded character to me, the only one who does have a decent ending after a good development, she starts off as the side character who sees and reports on everthing as a bystander but slowly becomes more involved and determined.
as for the plot itself? I found it lacking, 20% to about 60% felt very slow for no good reason and the ending on the contrary felt very rushed, if the ending is any indication this may have a continuation and I'm unsure if I would choose to continue the story
I want to say that going into this book I had expected a character with a sort of hunger for life but found something different, the atmosphere of Margaret's Keep gives you a perfect setting and I will say was one of my favorite things, the description of the island was excellent, but... the characters lacked depth in my opinion.
First the one at the center of it all, Charlotte, she started out very promising, but it was soon revealed that she had an obssesion with the reverend who is a married man mind you, but she seemed to care little if at all about that fact, in the blurb for the book it talks about how she doesnt want marriage as her only option but as the story progresses that is what she *spoiler* ends up deciding she wants?? It seemed hard to believe honestly.
Second POV, Jasper, he is a reverend who is married, he is also a grieving father in a way, as him and his wife lost a pregnancy and as a result the wife became barren, so he moves to a distant island on the hope to help his wife recover mentally from this pain, but then when he gets there he finds some solace in being admired by a teen in his flock and as a result starts to have fights with his wife who turns bitter and jealous, honestly I felt more for the poor wife than for Jasper, in the end he is revealed to be weakened by the devil that posseses Charlotte, his wife is gone and he ends kind of a puppet
Thir POV, Ruth the spinster schoolteacher, she was my favorite narrator honestly, she felt interesting, and the most well rounded character to me, the only one who does have a decent ending after a good development, she starts off as the side character who sees and reports on everthing as a bystander but slowly becomes more involved and determined.
as for the plot itself? I found it lacking, 20% to about 60% felt very slow for no good reason and the ending on the contrary felt very rushed, if the ending is any indication this may have a continuation and I'm unsure if I would choose to continue the story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to Del Rey for a complimentary arc of The Temptation of Charlotte North. All opinions expressed are my own.*
I read Camilla Bruce for the first time about 5 years ago, and she’s become a bit of an auto-buy author for me for two specific reasons; her prose and the stories she delivers never let me down, and we happen to share nationality.
Growing up in the same landscape settings that Bruce took inspiration from in the making of Margaret’s Keep, made me not only visually see everything clearly beyond what a book usually lets me see, but I could also smell and hear it. Yet somehow, I know if I made someone who has never been touched Norwegian ground read the Temptation of Charlotte North, they would visualise the same in their head simply due to how well the author sets the scene and has a prose that makes you immersed whether you want to or not.
The story is haunting, perfectly and deliciously gothic, and gives you layers that masterfully blends the eerie atmosphere and gives such an immersive reading experience. While it took a while for the action to kick in, the setting and atmosphere on its own will have you pleased even if you’re waiting for more to happen.
At first, I thought three POVS might sound like a bit of a choice for a gothic horror, but it didn’t take too long before I realised it just gives you balanced views into different angles of the plot and the mystery in a way that worked better than what I suppose a single POV might’ve accomplished.
And honestly, while the dialogue and certain elements might linger on for too long at times, which did take a bit away from the pace - I didn’t really mind that much either since the plot never lost the tension or the atmospheric vibe that I remained too enthralled to feel restless or impatient.
If you want a new gothic story with an eerie and haunting atmosphere, don’t need it to be twisty from the start and characters that make some rather interesting choices along the way, don’t miss this one.
I read Camilla Bruce for the first time about 5 years ago, and she’s become a bit of an auto-buy author for me for two specific reasons; her prose and the stories she delivers never let me down, and we happen to share nationality.
Growing up in the same landscape settings that Bruce took inspiration from in the making of Margaret’s Keep, made me not only visually see everything clearly beyond what a book usually lets me see, but I could also smell and hear it. Yet somehow, I know if I made someone who has never been touched Norwegian ground read the Temptation of Charlotte North, they would visualise the same in their head simply due to how well the author sets the scene and has a prose that makes you immersed whether you want to or not.
The story is haunting, perfectly and deliciously gothic, and gives you layers that masterfully blends the eerie atmosphere and gives such an immersive reading experience. While it took a while for the action to kick in, the setting and atmosphere on its own will have you pleased even if you’re waiting for more to happen.
At first, I thought three POVS might sound like a bit of a choice for a gothic horror, but it didn’t take too long before I realised it just gives you balanced views into different angles of the plot and the mystery in a way that worked better than what I suppose a single POV might’ve accomplished.
And honestly, while the dialogue and certain elements might linger on for too long at times, which did take a bit away from the pace - I didn’t really mind that much either since the plot never lost the tension or the atmospheric vibe that I remained too enthralled to feel restless or impatient.
If you want a new gothic story with an eerie and haunting atmosphere, don’t need it to be twisty from the start and characters that make some rather interesting choices along the way, don’t miss this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce
3.25 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
The setting- Margret's Keep, a small island with small but very superstitious population. An old tower which according to the locals held a woman captive, reason?- maybe adultery or she was possessed. The main character Charlotte, lives with her cold hearted mother, who for some reason loathes her daughter, an indifferent father who basically owns the island and 3 sisters. Charlotte feels caged in the own home and craves freedom, power. The premise and the setting actual have a lot of potential and set the spooky vibes perfectly.
But the execution of the story?- no so much. First off the writing, it is very choppy and and the flow of information was uneven—some details arrived too late, while others would have benefited from earlier placement. This made certain parts harder to follow.
The characters- at first Charlotte did feel like the trapped young mc, who just wanted to live her life on her own terms. Her crush on the new reverend also felt justified and I was in her team. But near end and after her encounter with Antonia, she just became so mean and unlikeable- idts im rooting for her anymore.
Speaking of other characters, they were well developed but i have liked it if Ruth's past story was something even more stronger. Antonia was by far my favourite, yeah she did act stubborn,
The ending has been left loose open so i am guessing that there is going to be a sequel. I guess i might pick it up to see things finally being put an end to. The horror elements were the strongest aspect and what kept me engaged throughout. Unfortunately, the plot itself didn’t feel as compelling as I had hoped.
Thanks NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC!!!
🖤🏰🌊🕯️⚰️
3.25 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
The setting- Margret's Keep, a small island with small but very superstitious population. An old tower which according to the locals held a woman captive, reason?- maybe adultery or she was possessed. The main character Charlotte, lives with her cold hearted mother, who for some reason loathes her daughter, an indifferent father who basically owns the island and 3 sisters. Charlotte feels caged in the own home and craves freedom, power. The premise and the setting actual have a lot of potential and set the spooky vibes perfectly.
But the execution of the story?- no so much. First off the writing, it is very choppy and and the flow of information was uneven—some details arrived too late, while others would have benefited from earlier placement. This made certain parts harder to follow.
The characters- at first Charlotte did feel like the trapped young mc, who just wanted to live her life on her own terms. Her crush on the new reverend also felt justified and I was in her team. But near end and after her encounter with Antonia, she just became so mean and unlikeable- idts im rooting for her anymore.
Speaking of other characters, they were well developed but i have liked it if Ruth's past story was something even more stronger. Antonia was by far my favourite, yeah she did act stubborn,
The ending has been left loose open so i am guessing that there is going to be a sequel. I guess i might pick it up to see things finally being put an end to. The horror elements were the strongest aspect and what kept me engaged throughout. Unfortunately, the plot itself didn’t feel as compelling as I had hoped.
Thanks NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC!!!
🖤🏰🌊🕯️⚰️
October 25, 2025
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.
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.
October 27, 2025
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**
✨
✨
✨
✨
✨
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.
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**
✨
✨
✨
✨
✨
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.
October 12, 2025
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.
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.
December 6, 2025
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!
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!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews