The Curse on Cedar Hollow Lane: Canon of the Crows: Book One

by Angel Breen

She inherited the house. And with it came the curse.When Nadine Gayle arrives in Eldeburg, Indiana, to claim her inheritance of the centuries-old Holloway House, she thinks she’s starting over. But a generational curse clings to her bloodline, rooted in a secret buried since the Revolutionary War.

Haunted by cryptic dreams, drawn to mysterious relics, and torn between two men, Nadine is pulled into a mystery that spans centuries. To survive, she must unravel the truth behind a legacy shaped by betrayal, belief, and a pact never meant to be broken.

The darkness at Holloway House knows her by name—and it’s been waiting for her.

With slow-burn romance, spiritual suspense, and small-town secrets, The Curse on Cedar Hollow Lane is perfect for fans of folklore, fate, and the power of faith.

311 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 24, 2026

Reviews

[jessicajlovesbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a really tough time getting in to this book. I put it away and came back to it several times. I finally just dug in and made myself finish it. I was determined not to dnf it. The story didn’t get interesting at all until at least 30-40% of the way in. The pacing was weird and off. The relationships with Nadine’s friends and Colin and Michael seemed off. I would have liked a little more backstory on the supporting characters. The story goes back and forth between present day and different times in the past. I honestly enjoyed the past stories more than the present timeline. How the curse originated and how it affected the Holloway family throughout time. Overall, I don’t think this was for me, but that’s my personal opinion. If this book sounds interesting to you, read it.

Thanks to BookSirens and Angel Breen for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Angela Brannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This riveting intro novel from a new writer hooked me from the start and never let go. From the atmospheric and broody intro to the chilling epilogue ripped from current headlines, this book is a creepy demonic thriller that will have you rethinking the hidden secrets of your hometown.

Nadine is down on her luck and reluctantly returns to her family's hometown when she inherits her grandmother's house. Whenever she visited as a child, the house always seemed to whisper and hold secrets in the shadowy corners. As an adult, she is sure the old tales of hauntings and curses are just silly imaginings and is looking forward to her new beginning. But the house has a mind of its own and old secrets have ways of coming back to haunt you.

I really liked Nadine and could really relate to her determination to make a place for herself in this town that her ancestors helped build. She meets some really interesting characters that ring true to life - the strange old lady from the historical society, a charming real estate developer, the brooding historian, and the funky and upbeat staff of the local pizza joint. Both the developer and the historian show interest in her, and there is a nice build of sexual tension that stays clean.

The mystery of the town is explored in backstory chapters that alternate between the viewpoints of her ancestors through the ages. I really liked the way this added to the drama and tragedy of Holloway House's history. I felt so bad for what her family had been put through, especially the women who had married into this bloodline curse and could do nothing but watch and weep.

I wish the finale had been drawn out a little more with details about the fight with the demonic entities, but I did appreciate the faith element. A lot of writers veer away from any mention of God or exploration of the role evil entities play in our society, so it was refreshing to see that examined. While not an overtly Christian novel, the exorcism fight will definitely make you examine how faith governs our path.

I can't wait to read the next novel in the series, as the epilogue sets up the storyline to continue the fight against the legions of evil. This is a great book for lovers of ghost stories and exorcism stories. The lack of spice makes it suitable for YA readers as well as adults.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Claressa Hallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse On Cedar Hollow Lane | Angel Breen

After the death of her grandmother, Nadine arrives at her inherited ancestral home and immediately experiences strange visions and noises.  A generational curse grabs ahold of the house's newest occupant causing her to question her family's past and the townsfolk that, on the surface, appear to be welcoming her home.

This was a great debut novel by Angel Breen!  I enjoyed the premise and how the chapters alternated between Nadine in the current time and generations of her family in the past.  This narration style helped to build suspense and tension to the overall mystery, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The pace, at times, in the first 75% of the novel seemed to be inconsistent.  At times it moved quickly and at times it focused too much on dialogue.  The last 25% tied up the book well, if not a bit too quickly.  I felt resolved with the ending and it nicely set up for the next in the series.

I enjoyed the attention to detail given to the curse.  The origin was unique, the occult and ritualistic nature added a creepy vibe, and the buildup between past and present day was well done.  

I did not particularly enjoy the heavy Catholic presence to counter the cure, however, it did not sway my overall rating.

I look forward to the second book in the series!

I received this ARC through Booksirens for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carolyn Schaeperkoetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good, promising start to what's to be an intriguing new series bringing mystery, faith, with a touch of the supernatural.

I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. One we have a small town with a spooky element to it as something strange seems to take hold of all its citizens. We have a woman, Nadine, who inherits a large house and finds herself reckoning with sins of the past bleeding into the present and threatening the future. And we have some moderate romantic tension between two men that she meets on this strange journey, who you don't know who to really trust. Admittedly, I didn't see some of the twists and turns coming.

I really enjoyed the faith element, as most popular books nowadays seems to shun God or tends to portray religious people as just plain crazy. Major props for the good representation.

Breen's writing is very good and the story keeps you captivated and engaged from beginning to end. I am looking forward to what she comes up with next (which the epilogue seems to hint at!)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brigitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from a new to me author. Story had an unexpected twist. The story goes between present time and past events. This enables author to build the storyline for what is happening to main character Nadine. She has just inherited a house from her grandmother. Stories have been by told to her about the house having been haunted. From day one she feels different in the house. In the beginning This story test your belief in supernatural and haunted relics, but as it builds you see the references between good and evil and its existence. The plot challenges the MFC believe in GOD. Nadine has to fight the evil by believing GOD will protect her from it. One of the MMC is evil and one is good and Nadine has to determine which one is which to survive a curse that has been on her family for generations. In the end she figures out which MMC is good and him and her friends devise a plan to defeat the evil. The books ends with a continuation, which I will read to see what happens to some of the evil characters that go into hiding and disappear at the end of this book.

[Berta Greenleaf Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good suspense mystery type of book. It has a good paranormal curse theme while it intersperses a romance triangle. It has a strong Catholic exorcist kind of plot intermingled with the curse part. The differing POV were interesting. I especially liked the chapters about the past of the FMC's family but sometimes it got a bit confusing. It started out slow and built towards the end. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and could have used a bit more detail about what happened with the house inside with all the haunting. I did not understand why she needed to forgive her family about the curse when it was her family who were the victims and all because one man decided to say no to the dark side. I understand that Elise is going to be in the next book but she came out of no where and that was confusing. The religious part came on a bit strong and will not appeal to everyone. Over all it was a good first book from a new author. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was not what I expected at all. Now days we don’t believe things like curses are really real the problem with that is we no longer seem to believe in a loving God. This book brought home to me what I have always believed that evil is here it has always been here and without people who believe in God, or have the courage to stand for what they believe in, evil wins. It is so much easier to just float through life never looking around and completely engrossed in our own lives. The ending was wonderful. In the beginning I thought Michael was an obnoxious and pushy person instead of a man fighting for what he believed in. Colin was so much easier to like and Gwen was so careful to be helpful. It was hard to figure out who was good and who was bad until the end.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michelle Houghton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse on Cedar Hollow Lane reads as a paranormal mystery and supernatural suspense more so than a Cristian or small town romance. There is a strong Catholic theme as well as small town but the romance feels very secondary to the haunting in this book. The writing is very good. Strong lead and supporting characters and well thought out twists and turns that keep the reader guessing who is on what side. I particularly liked the historical chapters interlaced into the story tying it all together.

All together a well woven story. The description and tags might be a bit misleading I was not quite ready for the haunting/curse focus.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curse on Cedar Hallow Lane is Book 1 in the Canon of the Crows by Angel Breen. Nadine came home to claim Holloway Housr. BUT, the house had other ideas. This fantasy was a thrillet, a curse from Revolutionary War, and does Nadine begin a romance? This is a fantastic book that has something for everyone. I liked when Michael, the Catholic ghost hunter, arrived to help Nadine. I found this to be very suspenseful and definitely should be on everyone's TBR list. When I read the epilogue… the dreaded words… To Be Continued! I sure hope book 2 is published soon. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting start to a new supernatural series. This book was enjoyable for many reasons - small town setting with spooky feelings, an inheritance that leads to secrets of the past coming to the present and threatening the future, and some mild romantic tension. I didn't see the twists coming.

There is a faith / God element to the book that I wasn't expecting, but the representation was nicely done.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a well written book. It was suspenseful and made me question who was good or bad. I did think it moved a little slow at times. I wasn’t expecting the strong religious theme in the story either.
Looking forward to where this series goes next

[Diana Cooper]

Was a good book the characters were pretty good and the story was good will have to look at other books by this author

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There is nothing you can do. Nothing. Legions are here. And we were invited.”

In The Curse on Cedar Hollow Lane, Angel Breen delivers an eerie, atmospheric blend of supernatural suspense, active faith, and romance.

The story follows Nadine Gayle as she returns to Eldeberg to claim her inheritance, a house dating back to the Revolutionary War. Despite local rumors of hauntings, Nadine is determined to make the house her home. However, she quickly finds herself caught between two suitors: the suave, charming Colin and the awkward but sincere Michael. Both men hold keys to the dark history of her lineage, and as the town’s involvement in an ancient evil surfaces, Nadine must discern who is an ally and who is a threat.

Breen skillfully weaves historical chapters throughout the narrative, grounding the supernatural elements in a generational struggle. These glimpses into the past reveal how the curse has shadowed Nadine’s ancestors for centuries. Although the family live virtuous lives and try to escape the sadness of Holloway House, the house will not let them go — until Nadine musters her faith, her friends, and her conviction to defeat the evil that threatens her happiness.

The novel is unapologetic in its exploration of active faith as a tool for restoration. Breen reminds readers that the battle against darkness requires a conscious choice in what we believe and how we live. With its twists, turns, and high-stakes spiritual warfare, this first installment of The Canon of the Crows series is a compelling read. The epilogue sets the stage perfectly for the sequel, and I am eager for the next installment.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.