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House of Carter: The Crimson Bond
Where magic commands power and the wood whispers the truth you seek.
On the eve of the Carter heir’s coronation, a fisherman discovers the body of the young heir washed ashore in the wreckage of a sunken vessel. His death sends shockwaves through the magic realm, thrusting Lady Isabella Carter into a position she never expected—nor ever prepared for.
Isabella stands poised between glory and ruin, haunted by family secrets, political rivals, and the curse that coils around her inheritance like a tightening noose.
She is feared. Admired. Destined for greatness.
But never—under any circumstance—meant to love a Terra.
When Ines Reinner, a humble herbalist with fiery red hair and no magic to her name, crosses her path, the two collide with the force of fate itself. What begins as hatred, resentment, and razor-edged tension slowly ignites into something far more dangerous
House of Carter beckons readers into a darkly enchanting tale—an 1800s-inspired world of Power, Fate, and Forbidden Devotion that will leave you breathless, yearning, and unable to turn away.
If you love villainous women, sapphic dark fantasy romance, and tension sharp enough to cut... Welcome to Everwood.
©2024 Greycashmere.
Isabella stands poised between glory and ruin, haunted by family secrets, political rivals, and the curse that coils around her inheritance like a tightening noose.
She is feared. Admired. Destined for greatness.
But never—under any circumstance—meant to love a Terra.
When Ines Reinner, a humble herbalist with fiery red hair and no magic to her name, crosses her path, the two collide with the force of fate itself. What begins as hatred, resentment, and razor-edged tension slowly ignites into something far more dangerous
House of Carter beckons readers into a darkly enchanting tale—an 1800s-inspired world of Power, Fate, and Forbidden Devotion that will leave you breathless, yearning, and unable to turn away.
If you love villainous women, sapphic dark fantasy romance, and tension sharp enough to cut... Welcome to Everwood.
©2024 Greycashmere.
442 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 29, 2025
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Grey Cashmere
2 books5 followersGrey Cashmere is a Thai self-published author. She has an MA in Communication and IMC from Suffolk University in Boston. Her strong pursuit lies in sapphic romance, a love unbound by gender or time. Cashmere began her self-published journey in 2021, with 7 published works to date. She currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand, with her family and three mischievous kittens, who ensure her writing breaks are never too quiet.
When she’s not writing, she can be found on social media sharing her love for storytelling and handcrafted creations. Instagram: @greycashmere_ and TikTok/X: @greycashmere21
Discover more of her work at greycashmere.com
When she’s not writing, she can be found on social media sharing her love for storytelling and handcrafted creations. Instagram: @greycashmere_ and TikTok/X: @greycashmere21
Discover more of her work at greycashmere.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 5, 2026
[acquired on netgalley for honest review]
4.5 stars rounded !
This book was juicy perfection!
The atmosphere building is next-level impressive with lush descriptions and beautiful illustrations that immerse the reader in the novel immediately. Whether the reader is meant to feel impressed, disgusted, nervous, etc., all of it came through.
Despite the novel largely centring on Isabella, all of the other characters are introduced well and feel complex and dynamic. Isabella herself is a very interesting character who doesn't always make the most moral decisions, however you can see how she is influenced by her personal history with trauma and the relationships she has held in her lifetime. The repercussions of her actions are also acknowledged.
The tension between Isabella and Ines was electric and I loved how their relationship developed over the course of the novel.
My one minor ask is that I would have loved to see more depth on the magic system introduced in the novel. Otherwise, the worldbuilding was great, and I could truly picture the world that our characters were living in.
I commend the translator for translating the artistry of the original text into English. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this author if any of her other books are translated into English.
4.5 stars rounded !
This book was juicy perfection!
The atmosphere building is next-level impressive with lush descriptions and beautiful illustrations that immerse the reader in the novel immediately. Whether the reader is meant to feel impressed, disgusted, nervous, etc., all of it came through.
Despite the novel largely centring on Isabella, all of the other characters are introduced well and feel complex and dynamic. Isabella herself is a very interesting character who doesn't always make the most moral decisions, however you can see how she is influenced by her personal history with trauma and the relationships she has held in her lifetime. The repercussions of her actions are also acknowledged.
The tension between Isabella and Ines was electric and I loved how their relationship developed over the course of the novel.
My one minor ask is that I would have loved to see more depth on the magic system introduced in the novel. Otherwise, the worldbuilding was great, and I could truly picture the world that our characters were living in.
I commend the translator for translating the artistry of the original text into English. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this author if any of her other books are translated into English.
January 30, 2026
House of Carter: The Crimson Bond is the first book I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed it very much. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it in the beginning but I continued reading and fell in love with these characters. I also found out this book was not originally written in English which surprised me, because it is very well translated.
I enjoyed the writing style in this, though I am not sure if it was intended that way by the author or if by the nature of translation, it ended up that way. It felt almost Shakespearean in the way that it gives you a feeling of romance in the words. I found it charming and beautiful. I felt the love between Ines and Bella, I felt the pain they both experienced when that time came, and I found myself aching for them in the end. The length of this book was a bit daunting as longer books tend to get a bit boring, and I anticipated taking the entire month to read it. I finished it in two days, and that’s a sign of great storytelling.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest feedback. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I can’t wait to see what they write next.
I enjoyed the writing style in this, though I am not sure if it was intended that way by the author or if by the nature of translation, it ended up that way. It felt almost Shakespearean in the way that it gives you a feeling of romance in the words. I found it charming and beautiful. I felt the love between Ines and Bella, I felt the pain they both experienced when that time came, and I found myself aching for them in the end. The length of this book was a bit daunting as longer books tend to get a bit boring, and I anticipated taking the entire month to read it. I finished it in two days, and that’s a sign of great storytelling.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest feedback. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I can’t wait to see what they write next.
February 5, 2026
House of Carter the crimson bond is tender, heartfelt, and emotional sapphic romance and was very beautifully written!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 17, 2026
Everwood felt vivid, and visually cinematic. I could completely see it play out in my mind like a film. It’s one of the strongest elements of the book.
Bella’s character development stood out as especially compelling. Her emotional growth, internal conflict, and evolving sense of duty were layered well. Lyra, too, is wonderfully complex and magnetic whenever she appears on the page.
The three sisters personalities were distinct yet cohesive, and their dynamic added richness to the narrative. However, I genuinely think there could be more storyline from each of them. There is enough depth there to carry future installments.
Although the main leads are fated mates and the chemistry is definitely present, I personally wished for a stronger emotional connection between them. The romantic framework is undeniably well written but the deeper emotional bond could benefit from more shared vulnerability to truly land with full impact.
In terms of pacing and depth, the story occasionally feels rushed. With such a beautifully built world, I found myself wanting a deeper look into Everwood’s lore and more motivation for certain secondary characters. The potential is huge, and extending certain arcs or slowing key transitions could elevate the story even further. This world is rich enough to support a longer novel or an expanded series.
If you’re expecting a mix of mystery or action driven plot you should know that this book leans more toward character centered drama rather than detective style intrigue and it succeeds on that front.
Overall, it’s worth reading. The emotional beats, especially surrounding love, loss, identity, and legacy, are powerful. The attention to detail, from cultural nuances to visual descriptions is impressive, I can tell that the author poured genuine passion into the craft. With a bit more depth and breathing room, it could be truly exceptional:)
Bella’s character development stood out as especially compelling. Her emotional growth, internal conflict, and evolving sense of duty were layered well. Lyra, too, is wonderfully complex and magnetic whenever she appears on the page.
The three sisters personalities were distinct yet cohesive, and their dynamic added richness to the narrative. However, I genuinely think there could be more storyline from each of them. There is enough depth there to carry future installments.
Although the main leads are fated mates and the chemistry is definitely present, I personally wished for a stronger emotional connection between them. The romantic framework is undeniably well written but the deeper emotional bond could benefit from more shared vulnerability to truly land with full impact.
In terms of pacing and depth, the story occasionally feels rushed. With such a beautifully built world, I found myself wanting a deeper look into Everwood’s lore and more motivation for certain secondary characters. The potential is huge, and extending certain arcs or slowing key transitions could elevate the story even further. This world is rich enough to support a longer novel or an expanded series.
If you’re expecting a mix of mystery or action driven plot you should know that this book leans more toward character centered drama rather than detective style intrigue and it succeeds on that front.
Overall, it’s worth reading. The emotional beats, especially surrounding love, loss, identity, and legacy, are powerful. The attention to detail, from cultural nuances to visual descriptions is impressive, I can tell that the author poured genuine passion into the craft. With a bit more depth and breathing room, it could be truly exceptional:)
January 22, 2026
This was everything that was promised, I enjoyed the forbidden love of this story and how it uses the dark fantasy element to that love. It had that feel that I was expecting and enjoyed about this type of book and thought the enemy to lover concept worked well and was realistic in this world. The characters were so well written and I enjoyed getting into their world and story. Grey Cashmere was able to weave the 1800s element perfectly to tell the story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 17, 2026
I was given this book complimentary from Book Sirens in e-book form in return for my honest review. Everything stated in this review is of my own opinion and I was not compensated monetarily for providing this review.
I do not normally read translated books as however good the translator I always feel something is lost in the process. In this case the arc was in English and I did not realize that Grey Cashmere is Thai. I enjoyed this book so if I get sone free time I will probably try to find a copy in the original language (yes, I can read Thai)
This is a book that you grow to love as you are reading it. initially it feels like a bit o fa stuffy period piece with an unlikeable main character who you start to dislike more as the plot unfolds. Then things begin to shift and motives become clearer and your perspective on Bella begins to change. Do not pick up this book expecting edge of the seat action or spectacular mage battles, this book is all about the people, Bella, her parents, sisters, aunt and the other people in her orbit who change her character for better or worse. The society and settings are dark bringing to mind some of the novels of Charles Dickens. The world would be a joyless place were it not for the "fated mates" and even these are often a cause for sorrow when inevitable the bond crosses the social divide between mages and Terrras (non magic folk like muggles) or equally as bad between mates of the same gender, The penalty for either of these transgressions is not specified but the penalties are severe enough to make these folk leave the country.
This is a dark novel but ultimately one of hope that people can ditch their emotional baggage and change for the better. It also shows how your assumptions about people can be wrong, those you initially see as white are black and others you dislike are not what you think.
If you love novels driven by personality and character or are a fan of well crafted sapphic romances this is a book for you "to read" list. Five stars.
I do not normally read translated books as however good the translator I always feel something is lost in the process. In this case the arc was in English and I did not realize that Grey Cashmere is Thai. I enjoyed this book so if I get sone free time I will probably try to find a copy in the original language (yes, I can read Thai)
This is a book that you grow to love as you are reading it. initially it feels like a bit o fa stuffy period piece with an unlikeable main character who you start to dislike more as the plot unfolds. Then things begin to shift and motives become clearer and your perspective on Bella begins to change. Do not pick up this book expecting edge of the seat action or spectacular mage battles, this book is all about the people, Bella, her parents, sisters, aunt and the other people in her orbit who change her character for better or worse. The society and settings are dark bringing to mind some of the novels of Charles Dickens. The world would be a joyless place were it not for the "fated mates" and even these are often a cause for sorrow when inevitable the bond crosses the social divide between mages and Terrras (non magic folk like muggles) or equally as bad between mates of the same gender, The penalty for either of these transgressions is not specified but the penalties are severe enough to make these folk leave the country.
This is a dark novel but ultimately one of hope that people can ditch their emotional baggage and change for the better. It also shows how your assumptions about people can be wrong, those you initially see as white are black and others you dislike are not what you think.
If you love novels driven by personality and character or are a fan of well crafted sapphic romances this is a book for you "to read" list. Five stars.
January 7, 2026
House of Carter: The Crimson Bond is an intense, engaging read with strong emotions and intriguing characters. Grey Cashmere creates a dark, gripping atmosphere that keeps you hooked. A great choice for readers who enjoy dramatic, character-driven stories.
February 9, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. It was beautiful written and the character development was done phenomenally. I enjoyed every second of this book and hoped this book would never end.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews