Chateau Reverie

by Natasha Siegel

Another sweeping speculative, romantic novel from the author of As Many Souls as Stars, in which attendees of a magical auction must bid secrets in exchange for their greatest desires. Perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern or V.E. Schwab.

Reverie and Sons humbly requests your attendance at THE AUCTION OF SECRETS.

Genevieve de Vienne does not remember the journey to the Chateau Reverie. She only remembers receiving her invitation to the Auction of Secrets, writing upon it her greatest desire—to forget the woman she once loved—and setting it aflame.

Leander Sterne does not remember a life outside of the Chateau Reverie. When he receives his own invitation, he does not have any secrets to bid, but his greatest desire—his liberty—is worth risking everything. He has nothing to lose.

Alongside five fellow attendees, Leander and Genevieve must survive three nights in the Chateau in order to bid their secrets and win their hearts’ desire. But the Chateau has a mind of its own. As guests begin to disappear and Leander and Genevieve become more and more entangled, it becomes clear that the rules of the Auction might not be in anyone’s favor…and even those who win might not be allowed to leave.

Written in Natasha Siegel’s transportive, lush prose and set amidst the final days of the French Revolution, Chateau Reverie is a rococo fairytale full of horrors and both a sweeping romance and a twisting speculative mystery.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Adult, Romance, Romantasy

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 27, 2026

About the author

Natasha Siegel is a writer of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. She was born and raised in London, where she grew up in a Danish-Jewish family surrounded by stories.

Her UK and fantasy debut, As Many Souls As Stars, received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and was an Indie Next pick. Her next book, romantic fantasy Chateau Reverie, is out this October with Bloomsbury UK/William Morrow US.

Reviews

[Natasha Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this!

Some early copies are trickling out to reviewers now, so I thought I'd share my thoughts. I'm so excited to be bringing this weird and wonderful book to you all. CHATEAU REVERIE is about hope. It's a twisted fairytale, a daydream and a nightmare, and, above all, a love story. It's about how we let our pasts define us, and not how love redeems us--but how love can show us we're deserving of redemption.

This is very much a setup-and-payoff story, with some surprises in store that I would ask people be careful about spoiling in their own content and reviews. It does have darker themes--content warnings are available on my website!--but ultimately, this novel is a search for light in darkness, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

[Saray]

sounds so good!! Can't wait to read itttt!!

[Dozelina 666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I love the cover;
Second... the atmosphere in this book was honestly amazing.

The whole Chateau Reverie setting felt eerie, unsettling and almost horror-like at times, which I absolutely loved. The chateau itself felt alive in that creepy fairytale kind of way and the idea behind the Auction of Secrets was super interesting. Guests bid their (or others) deepest secrets in exchange for their greatest desires. There are strict rules, trials and consequences if those rules are broken.

Our FMC, Genevieve, receives an invitation to the auction some time after escaping the French Revolution. She’s carrying a lot of grief and anxiety after losing someone very important to her during the escape, so attending the auction was a huge step for her. But she is there with one purpose in mind.

Once at the chateau, she meets Leander, another guest and from there their story starts in very unexpected ways. I actually thought their first interaction was pretty cute. She was kinda awkward, he was slightly rude, weird-ish - cute vibes all around :))

From here on, I struggled with a bit with the execution.

I really wish we had gotten more from the side characters. Most of the other guests felt very surface level, almost like they were there mostly to fill space in the story.

I also thought the romance leaned a bit too heavily into insta-love. I understand they only spend a few days together, but the feelings developed so quickly that it was hard for me to fully connect with them emotionally. Also, it didn't help they kept repeating that they fell in love too fast (yes, we know :D).

And, like I said in the beginning, the whole "bidding with secrets" concept was SO, SO cool, especially the idea that secrets could be stolen and used, but I feel like the story didn’t explore that aspect nearly enough.

That said, I still enjoyed the experience overall, even if I wanted more depth in certain areas.

⭐ 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

[Magdalena (magdal21) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not joking, no one writes stories that feel more like they were made for me than Natasha Siegel. After four books and four five star reads, I know I’ll love anything she writes. Chateau Reverie absolutely proves that again.

Guenevieve, the book’s protagonist, is an aristocrat who escaped revolutionary France. She receives an invitation to a chateau run by the mysterious Lady Reverie, where guests take part in an auction and bid their secrets for their deepest desires. There, she meets Leander, a resident who was also invited to the auction. As the event draws near, more secrets come to light about both of them and the chateau itself. The book isn’t long, and readers are pulled into the action right away, though the story unfolds gradually. You shouldn’t worry if you don’t understand everything at the start. It’s best to just trust the process. What you get is a beautiful, almost fairy tale like story about star crossed love that blends a rococo aesthetic with a gothic, unsettling atmosphere.

All in all, it’s hard to talk about this book without spoilers, so I’ll just say this: it gave me the same vibes as some of my favorite novels, like The Night Circus, The White Octopus Hotel, or Strange the Dreamer. It combines all of that with an immaculate yet disturbing setting, mystery, and romance. If you like this kind of story and enjoy Natasha’s writing style, you should run to preorder this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lauryn]

Thank you sooo much Netgalley for the eArc!! I cannot wait to read this one!

[Risa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down


This book has a lot of potential, but so much of the execution was surface level.

I really loved the sentient setting of the chateau; however, I felt like the story couldn’t decide whether it wanted the setting to be evil or not. It was a bit too inconsistent for my liking, especially with how it treated our two protagonists differently (less harshly) than the rest of the contestants.

Speaking of the other contestants, I loved the diversity of the cast of characters. However, all the characters outside of Leander and Genevieve read like one-dimensional cardboard cut outs. They were simply there to fill space and give our main characters the tools they need throughout the story. I wish the side characters had been more fleshed out, and that their disappearances as the story went on felt less arbitrary.


When it comes to Leander and Genevieve, I really liked their individual stories and journeys. Together, however, I found their relationship to be rushed and a bit boring at times. It was obviously insta-love given they fell in love within two or three days of knowing each other, and it didn’t help (or make it any more palatable for me) that the pair repeatedly remind the reader of how quickly they’ve fallen in love.


I liked the big plot twist in the latter half of the book because I didn’t see it coming and I thought the reveal was well done! (But I will say the background on how it came to be wasn’t entirely believable to me, as I explain in the spoilers section.)


Ultimately I enjoyed myself as I was reading this novel, but there’s a good chance that I will forget about it soon enough.








NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:


First check in at 20%:
- I like the opening—poor Genevieve losing her life Claire in a carriage attack. It makes sense why she would join the Auction of Secrets, and why she doesn’t ride in carriages anymore.

- (I will say right off the bat though, I hope there’s more queer rep in the book…because it’s kind of a bummer that we killed off the woman Genevieve loves, and she’s likely going to fall for guy later on. I love bi rep, but I don’t want it to feel like a kill you gays situation either.)


- I’m surprised that her grandfather let her go though. I know he wanted her to get out of the house and meet people, but…would he think that this auction invitation was nonsense?


- Leander is an interesting character—I didn’t expect him to wake up on a grave. His desire is liberty, I assume from his mother, who I’m guessing owns the Chateau Reverie. It wouldn’t surprise me if Lady Reverie wasn’t a person at all, but an estate.
- I’m curious to know what he meant by he’s have to steal a secret from someone since he has none. I guess because he has few memories, because his mother took them?


- Ah, so it seems that Claire—that woman Genevieve loved—was her servant at one point. Good to know.


- It seems Leander’s brother Orestes is the auctioneer, and is also trapped here at the estate for some reason.

- I liked how Genevieve and Leander met in the hedge maze, and how he’s kind of standoffish/rude while she’s awkward. But I don’t love that it’s already feeling like insta-love between them. A crush is one thing, but the emotion feels too strong to start off in my opinion.

- I’m glad there are other guests, but we blew through meeting them really fast, so it was hard to remember who is who, though I like that there seems to be diversity in the group.


- 27% in: Ah okay, so Leander was brought and trapped here at the Chateau it sounds like—so it seems his mother and brother aren’t blood relatives. (Though how that was revealed was kind of obvious telling through dialogue—Leander wouldn’t need to spell that out to Orestes.)

- Also, Orestes eating that bug was creepy. He’s clearly got some creepy magical ties to the Chateau.

- I thought Orestes said earlier, before the auction began, that Leander was not his brother? Or was it the other way around? (I’m asking because now Orestes is saying he’s fond of Leander, which seems like a switch.)


Another Check in at 45%
- Leander is already saying he needs Genevieve at only 30% in? Ugh the insta-love.

- I mean, I like that Leander’s mother is basically playing with his emotions so that he’ll fall for Genevieve and steal her secret… but I still wish their relationship was more slow burn.

- I don’t like that they have the hots for each other so quickly, but I liked that as things were heating up, Genevieve said Claire’s name.


- The poor saltana wanting to aid her sick son. And her secret she’s not the child of a sultan but a bastard child is interesting.

- And that Mattias character who just said he needs to win. Very mysterious. I feel like we aren’t seeing enough of the side characters, but I like what we do see of them.



- 50%: So the sultana is missing and Ortiz turned into the clockwork for messing with the clock as punishment. Interesting.
- I understand why Leander would remember them, but I wonder why Genevieve does as well when no one else at breakfast does.


- 51%: Wait. Leander brought Genevieve to a riverbank that they could cross, and if they do, they’ll forget the Chateau without winning or losing. Then why the hell hasn’t Leander just done that on his own already???? If this would work, then he doesn’t have to win the auction to get his liberty…


- “I want you so much—after one day of knowing you.” Well, at least Leander acknowledges the insta-love…


- Ah okay—so Leander can’t actually leave as his mother would intervene. So he’s just trying to trick her into leaving then?


- 54% in: Ooh so Saliha Sultan is a Chateau servant now


- 55% in: What I’m confused about is why (the fake) Mattias Kurki told Genevieve his secret, about taking his master’s place in the competition? She didn’t ask for it. And now Mattias essentially wants to keep her quiet about it.

- Oh that’s convenient…the Lion statue came to life and ate non-Kurki before he could harm her.


- Ooh so the ballet they have to watch is Genevieve’s story with Claire, that’s rough.
- But my question is why the ballet is just her story where there’s three other contestants competing as well?


- 63% in: A bit random that Missah would go into the hedger maze now to find the center when he’s required at the banquet. It feels like a random way to assumedly get rid of him.


- 67% in: WAIT WHAT??? This isn’t Genevieve de Vienne. It’s Claire Marchand?!?!? That was a wild plot twist I was not expecting!!!


- Ah okay so before going into the carriage, they switched clothes. And then Genevieve revealed herself anyway.

- My question is: well first, are these bandits really going to stop and try to figure out which is which? Given both women said they were Genevieve at one point, and one of them is claiming that they switched clothes but could be lying, I feel like they would kill both women just to cover their bases. (And I don’t buy the explanation that Genevieve just has an aura about her that makes it obvious she is the real Genevieve.)

- And second, what was the point of switching clothing (other than to trick the reader), when the bandits were still confused, Genevieve still announced herself as the one they want, and the bandits so easily believed her?



- This twist actually makes sense of the ballet I think—with the ending, I thought it was suggested that Claire with the thorn mask was left standing. Now I understand why!


- Ah okay—so since Claire wasn’t invited, that’s why Leander was able to move her across the threshold without issue. I was wondering about what Leander had discovered from that day.


- Wait, just Leander and Claire are left at the auction? What happened to the lady in the wheelchair, she just gave up because she has a portrait of her lover? (And I still think Missah entering the hedge maze now, when he could’ve done it some other time—like Leander and Genevieve did at the beginning—is strange).
- The side characters in this book have the potential to be interesting, but they were not handled well at all. They are like cardboard cut outs that the author just knocks over with a brush of her fingers without a valid reason.


- 71% in: Interesting, so the one person who’s won an auction before is Leander. Hence why he’s not a soulless servant.
- And he’s over a century old (born into the colonies of America)…sigh, another age gap romance.
- And lonely Leander’s wish was to fall in love; so his mother has kept him here until she could find him someone…uh okay.

- To be honest, I find it hard to believe that only one person has ever won (unless there’s only ever been one auction before this one). Despite the side characters losing by pretty lame, anti-climatic means, it’s pretty damn easy to win this thing.


- So now Madame Kramarov is in the portrait with her lover…uh okay. (This ending is getting more and more unhinged. And the grim fates of all these side characters feel so unearned.)


- 75% in: chapter 21, Sex scene time. At least we waited until after the big Claire reveal for them to have sex.


- That’s nice of Leander to try and give up his wish for Claire. And for Claire to go talk to Lady Reverie to try and free both herself and Leander. (It was also clever of Claire to mention the invitation and wish were technically for Genevieve so she should be able to change hers.)

- I’m of course glad that Lady Reverie is giving Claire a chance—if Claire can find Leander, then they can leave. But it feels rather too generous of Lady Reverie to say if she fails, then Claire will leave with only memories as if she were really Genevieve and with Leander only being dream that she forgets. I think Lady Reverie should’ve said Claire has to stay forever as her daughter (like she said she should take on a daughter), which would be brutal since Lady Reverie plans to turn Leander into a stone statue.

- It’s a bit convenient that the necklace from one of the other contestants allowed Claire to distinguish the dream from reality through ...


- Also, just because the characters keep saying in the narrative that they’re shocked to have fallen in love with each other in only 2-3 days does not make the insta-love anymore believable.


- Uh…so the fake Genevieve tries to drown Claire after Claire stabs her. And then Claire stops fighting so the fake Genevieve lets her go? That’s so dumb.


- 96% in: So there’s a literal heart at the center of the hedge maze, which Leander and Claire both just happen to enter. (I like that it’s a call back to how they first met, but I still don’t understand why they entered the maze now towards the end.) And Claire was going to stab the giant heart, but decided not to for unclear reasons. And her saying she forgives the chateau led to it revealing that Leander was sleeping inside the heart.
- While I’m glad Claire found Leander, the way they reunited is dumb.


- The ending with Leander following Claire and stepping across the bridge (ready to enter their new lives) was lovely.


Overall thoughts
- I enjoyed this book overall, but I feel like a lot of this book was surface level despite having the potential to go deeper.

- All the characters except for Leander and Claire were surface level. Especially when they came to the other contestants—they felt like one-dimensional cardboard cut outs whose sole purpose was to serve the couple.

- The plot where you bid your secrets to win a wish was so compelling. And the idea of Leander having to steal one was also compelling. But we never saw that, because all the other contestants were knocked off for such arbitrary reasons.

- I liked Leander and Claire’s relationship. But again, the insta-love was not negated by the fact that the characters repeatedly reminded us that they fell in love after 2 or 3 days. If anything it made it worse to have to keep remembering how unbelievable it feels.


- Having said all of that, I did like the chateau as a setting. And the backdrop of the French Revolution was also interesting. I do wish we had done more with the sentient setting though, as it felt like it had dark undertones until we needed Leander and Claire to succeed, and then all of a sudden it was on their side. (And it was way too easy for Claire to defeat the illusions that Lady Reverie through her way.)


- All of that to say, I had a good time reading this in the moment, but it didn’t live up to my expectations and I foresee myself forgetting about this book after a while.

[Sanne Romijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chateau Reverie is one of those books that feels less like a straightforward story and more like a dream you’re slowly trying to make sense of. From the beginning, the narrative has a slightly disorienting quality. Not everything is explained, and the rules of the world remain somewhat unclear. But rather than being frustrating, this actually enhances the experience. The dreamlike atmosphere seems very intentional, and it fits the concept of the story beautifully.

The chateau itself feels alive, subtly shaping events and guiding the participants. Combined with the idea of bidding with secrets instead of money, it creates a premise that feels both original and deeply personal. It’s mysterious, a little unsettling at times, and impossible to fully predict, which kept me turning the pages.

The writing style is lyrical and immersive, and in this case it truly works. It reinforces the hazy, almost surreal tone of the story without becoming too vague. Even when the story remains somewhat ambiguous, it feels like a deliberate choice rather than a flaw.

Both main characters go through meaningful development. Genevieve’s journey, in particular, carries a strong emotional core, while Leander’s arc adds an interesting contrast in terms of identity and memory. Their relationship develops rather quickly, but somehow that fits the overall tone of the book. The romance plays an essential role in both character growth and the outcome of the story.

There is also a twist that I didn’t see coming, but that made perfect sense in hindsight and added depth to the narrative rather than just serving as shock value. The ending was especially satisfying. It ties together the emotional and thematic threads of the story in a way that feels earned, while still maintaining that slightly dreamlike quality that defines the book.

This is a story for readers who enjoy romantasy or fantasy with a historical touch, and who don’t mind a more atmospheric, less straightforward narrative.

[Sarah Perissutti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genevieve de Vienne is an aristocrat living with her grandfather in England after barely escaping France during the French Revolution. In the midst of the escape, tragedy befell and Genevieve lost the love of her life and long term maidservant Claire in a brutal attack. She has been barely living for the past 5 years after Claire’s death while battling daily with her grief. When Genevieve receives a mysterious invitation to the Chateau Reverie to attend the Auction of Secrets simply by writing her heart’s greatest desire, to forget Claire entirely, on the invitation and then setting it aflame, she does not hesitate.

Genevieve does not recall how she came to arrive at the Chateau Reverie and when she arrives, she quickly realizes oddities abound. There are multiple other guests competing in the Auction of Secrets and they must face various challenges and collect secrets in order to bid for a chance to be the winner of their heart’s greatest desire.

Leander Sterne is among the guests competing in the Auction of Secrets. Leander does not remember his life outside of the Chateau Reverie and will do whatever it takes to achieve his heart’s greatest desire, his liberty from the Chateau itself.

Genevieve and Leander become reluctant allies throughout the Chateau’s competition and as the bid grows ever closer to end, and emotions evolve, they discover that their hearts’ greatest desires may not be what they initially thought.

This was my second novel I’ve read by Siegel and I am now sure that she will be an instant read author for me. Her prose and storytelling is absolutely beautiful and captivating and I would highly recommend this!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Bama Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Chateau Reverie and was immediately hooked.

Set during the French Revolution, the novel follows Genevieve, who once lived a life of luxury in Versailles. Forced to flee for her life, she loses everything, including the love of her life, and the memory of it threatens to consume her.

When she receives a mysterious invitation to an auction at Chateau Reverie, she is offered the chance to obtain her heart’s deepest desire… at the cost of her secrets. To enter, she must write her deepest desire on a piece of paper and burn it.

Without knowing how she came to be there, she soon finds herself at an opulent yet deeply unsettling château alongside five strangers, all willing to do anything to claim what they desire most. One of the strangers, the handsome Leander, seems to know more than anyone about the strange game underway.

But before the bidding can begin, they must survive three days within the estate itself—a château that sees all, hears all, and knows all. One by one, the guests begin disappearing as it becomes terrifyingly clear that no one may survive the auction.

Natasha Siegel writes with beautifully illustrative prose that immediately immersed me in the era of the French Revolution. The novel is drenched in mystery with touches of gothic horror throughout, creating an atmosphere that feels both elegant and deeply ominous.

[Tee · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s so much to love about this book!

The cover is eye-catchingly gorgeous! The concept is undeniably intriguing! And the writing is so lovely from the very first page!

My favorite part, however, would have to be our two protagonists: Genevieve and Leander. It was so lovely to watch their stories to finding out who they are as individuals and together as a couple unfold. They both care so deeply about what they are fighting for, yet they also find so much comfort in each other, which was so great to see.

I personally am not the biggest fan of insta-love, so that aspect bummed me out a bit. But I was able to ignore that element as I was reading, and thus I found their romance to be so touchingly sweet.

I wish we had gotten more details about the other characters, and seen them more throughout the novel. I also wish that the competition had been a bit more fleshed out (especially since the sentient chateau was such a wonderfully whimsical yet eerie setting!). But I still really enjoyed this book overall, and I would definitely recommend it to readers looking for a speculative treat!


Thank you so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC!

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natasha Siegel genuinely created something really special with Château Reverie. From the moment the Château is introduced, the entire book has this strange dreamlike atmosphere to it where everything feels slightly off in the best way possible. It felt like a twisted fairytale in the best way possible. The chateau feels alive, constantly shifting and hiding things from both the characters and me making figuring things out hard which allowed me to be surprised and caught off guard by all the twists and turns which had me even reading in the car before work!

It's a cute fun read yet also carries a depth to it, the emotional side of the story is all about dealing and exploring grief, struggling with identity. The references to greek myths really brought this book full circle and solidified the fantasy elements and the tragedy behind the story, allowing the romance to stand out in a purposeful way rather than this just feeling flat.

I read it over the course of 2 days any moment I got and safe to say I absolutely adored it. A atmospheric, stunningly described setting, lovable characters & full of plot twists I wouldn't have guessed! A weird and wonderful story.

Can't thank Netgalley enough for the ARC cant wait to pick this up when it gets released!
4.5/5

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Chateau Reverie we follow the story of two characters, Genevieve de Vienne and Leander Sterne, who both seek their hearts' desires through Lady Reverie's mysterious auction that requires them to bid their secrets. When the two come together, an emotional journey ensues, and themes of memory, grief, and who we are in the wake of those things paints a beautiful story between them.

Natasha Siegel's voice shines in this novel, capturing idyllic and rebellious 18th century England in both setting and characters while also playing into the unsettling nature of the dreamlike chateau. Even though the novel is short and spans the course of three days, I felt like both Genevieve and Leander were realistic explorations of humanity at its core, and each had great character development. If you like Howls Moving Castle and macabre imagery, I would recommend picking up this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Company for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so beautifully written and whimsical. I loved that the story jumps right in and really throws the reader into the madness that is the Chateau.

Genevieve arrives and just accepts the impossibilities around her, along with the others who are guests for the auction. They all are there to bid for one thing: their heart’s desire. Whoever shares the greatest secret wins the auction.

There were twists and turns, some that I didn’t expect. I think the love story portion was a little odd and too fairy tale like (who falls in love with someone they JUST met?!). But the writing made this feel like a classic. So much imagery and symbolism. And the characters were so strange; they fit right in with the atmosphere of the Chateau Reverie. Very Alice in Wonderland. I think anyone who enjoys that sort of whimsy (with a touch of thriller) would enjoy this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my advanced copy!

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An invitation to the auction at Chateau Reverie is more than meets the eye. This is not your average auction, but a competition of-sorts to make the winner's greatest wish come true. The enchanting and enchanted chateau comes alive and Genevieve de Vienne and Leander Sterne are among the invitees. They revel in the activities of the auction as the contest proceed and grow closer, but as the story draws to its pinnacle, their feelings for each other makes their wishes more complicated. Whimsey and magic combined with sadness and romance to create this absolutely delightful tale. The romantic in me was charmed by the story and touched by the ending.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, William Morrow) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

[Bailey Caraway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC -

I LOVED this book! I have been absolutely obsessed with and engrossed in everything I’ve read by Natasha Siegel. She writes in such a descriptive way that somehow doesn’t distract from the underlying story, and always transports me into the world.

Chateau Reviere takes us to a fantastical world where people can exchange their secrets for their hearts desires. Genevieve and Leander both have so much to gain, and even more to lose during this auction. I love the depth that each character gets, and the secrets each member holds.

I’m currently writing this review at 3:04 AM because this is the kind of book and the kind of story that will make you want to say “just one chapter” all night until you turn to the “acknowledgments” page.

[amel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
"Lead on, Ariadne," she says.
"Careful, Theseus," he returns. "There's more than one monster here."

This book is like if the Other Mother was in charge of Caraval. The writing has a very dream-like, intangible feel, which does well to leave us unsure of what comes next as we try to keep up. The “rules” of the Chateau also leave me feeling unmoored, which works well for this story. But I think in some ways it feels like there are gaps that the story suffers for. There’s so much about the Chateau and the other characters that we don’t explore because they are simply “not important”, which just left me a bit unsatisfied.

I really enjoyed our two main characters :) and their interactions, especially the allusions to various mythos.

[Morgan McCurry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing. I devoured it in 2 days & was gripped from the first page. The Chateau was a beautifully whimsical setting that was beyond imagination. As someone who accurately guesses every twist, I was repeatedly surprised by it all! I was never able to guess what was happening next. It felt like being immersed in a world like Alice in wonderland, where the eye deceives & reality melds into illusion. I loved the way Natasha had some nods to common tropes but wrote them so uniquely. This read was a treat & I will be reading again when published. If you are looking for a stand-alone this is a great one to dive into.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. This book was such a fun ride! I was hooked from the start. An invitation to an auction where you can bid on making your greatest wish come true, at the expense of your greatest secret. A little darkness, unexpected twists and turns, a love story that asks what would you give up for love? All blended together around a fantastically creepy Chateau. This was my first book by this author, but I plan on adding a few others to my TBR!

[Sandra Dietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid 5-star read. I could not put it down. It is classified as a romantasy however that does not seem to be all it is. I would add a touch of psychological thriller and horror to it as well.

Set in 1795 France, a group of strangers must stay at the Chateau for 3 days. At the end they must bid their secret and if it is good enough they win. And of course other guests start to disappear. It is not entirely a new plot but it has its own twists and nuances to make it original.

[julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new author for me to try, and intrigued to read as the blurb sounded exactly my favourite genre- historical fantasy fiction.
A great start: the chateau, the competitions (often macabre),with illusions and trickery and the magical realism, really captured my attention and imagination.
Good pacing throughout and an enjoyable fairy tale read. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the review copy.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find the authors writing style to be quite immersive and I did like this one.

The setting was very lushly described and well presented.

But I ultimately found the characters instalove story to be a bit boring.

3.5 stars.

[Lucia]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

[BadWolfShells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It felt a lot like Caraval but better. It was a solid 3.5 🌟 for me. Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Christy]

DNF @ 26%

May come back to it later

[El · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this book.

'Chateau Reverie' is now one of my favorite reads of all time. This book was an amazing, romantic, whimsical tale of people coming to terms with their pasts. I loved the contrast between the subject matter being pretty dark but the setting feeling lighthearted and magical. The romance in this book left me swooning and the prose is beautiful without being a slog to get through.

I absolutely recommend this novel!