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Chastain Castle #1
Condemned
Book one in the Chastain Castle trilogy.
When Julian moves to rural Oregon to become the new attendant of a rich family, he's under the impression that life will get easier. But as he meets Atlas, the young master of the estate, he realizes that instead of the simple, he will now be facing an unprecedented lust and attraction too great to bear, as well as the man's cryptic condition that he must ignore.
As Atlas dutifully awaits the cure that was prophesied months after his eighteenth birthday, his family hires a few new employees---one of whom is a man so beautiful that his condition can't help but react to him. And if battling the guilt of his desires wasn't already hard enough, now he's being forced to encounter Julian and the way he craves him so intensely almost daily.
Will the two men survive one another and their unstoppable attraction? If they allow their walls to lower and their hearts to reach out, will Julian still want Atlas after learning the truth?
After all, who could love a condemned man?
A mature, paranormal M/M romance with an HEA guaranteed.
TW's: mentions of death and drowning, supernatural and religious themes, attempted sacrifice/suicide, dark magic, and explicit content such as graphic depictions of intercourse between two men, rough sex, non-consensual (non-con) paranormal sexual activity with enjoyment (not between the two male leads), forced pleasure, and mild choking.
When Julian moves to rural Oregon to become the new attendant of a rich family, he's under the impression that life will get easier. But as he meets Atlas, the young master of the estate, he realizes that instead of the simple, he will now be facing an unprecedented lust and attraction too great to bear, as well as the man's cryptic condition that he must ignore.
As Atlas dutifully awaits the cure that was prophesied months after his eighteenth birthday, his family hires a few new employees---one of whom is a man so beautiful that his condition can't help but react to him. And if battling the guilt of his desires wasn't already hard enough, now he's being forced to encounter Julian and the way he craves him so intensely almost daily.
Will the two men survive one another and their unstoppable attraction? If they allow their walls to lower and their hearts to reach out, will Julian still want Atlas after learning the truth?
After all, who could love a condemned man?
A mature, paranormal M/M romance with an HEA guaranteed.
TW's: mentions of death and drowning, supernatural and religious themes, attempted sacrifice/suicide, dark magic, and explicit content such as graphic depictions of intercourse between two men, rough sex, non-consensual (non-con) paranormal sexual activity with enjoyment (not between the two male leads), forced pleasure, and mild choking.
444 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 11, 2026
Did I ever think I'd be this obsessed with a paranormal MM romance featuring demon orgasms? Absolutely not. And yet, here we are, completely consumed.
The pacing is perfection. The spice? 🥵 The tension and angst? I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time.
From the very first page, the tension is immediate. You know something sinister is lurking in that ominous, mysterious castle on the cliff. The writing is so smooth that I felt like I was walking onto this estate myself. The world building is so immersive.
Atlas is such an intriguing, mysterious character. I was coming up with a hundred different theories about what was really going on. Every reveal deepened the mystery and left me with more questions, pulling me further into the book.
And the dynamic between Atlas and Julian was everything. Julian's devotion to Atlas knows no bounds, and his strong need to protect his little bunny had me feeling just as protective over Atlas.
I literally could not put this book down. I had to know how this unhinged mess would resolve itself.
This was my first book I read by this author, and it was absolutely not my last. This book deserves to get all of the hype.
The pacing is perfection. The spice? 🥵 The tension and angst? I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time.
From the very first page, the tension is immediate. You know something sinister is lurking in that ominous, mysterious castle on the cliff. The writing is so smooth that I felt like I was walking onto this estate myself. The world building is so immersive.
Atlas is such an intriguing, mysterious character. I was coming up with a hundred different theories about what was really going on. Every reveal deepened the mystery and left me with more questions, pulling me further into the book.
And the dynamic between Atlas and Julian was everything. Julian's devotion to Atlas knows no bounds, and his strong need to protect his little bunny had me feeling just as protective over Atlas.
I literally could not put this book down. I had to know how this unhinged mess would resolve itself.
This was my first book I read by this author, and it was absolutely not my last. This book deserves to get all of the hype.
July 14, 2026
Okaaaaaaay so that was a hell of a ride!! 🫨
I wasn’t joking, I really couldn’t stop up until 2(3?)am, I somehow read through both the ballistic missile strike AND an annoying mosquito buzzing around my ear 🫠
I don’t even know how to review this without spoiling anything, because honestly - do yourself a favour and go in blind! I was all over the place the first half guessing what the hell was happening with Atlas and how it’s going to unfold! And Julien managed to be both surprisingly dirty and sweet 🤭
“You’re all mine. You’re my sweet little bunny, my darling boy to love on and hold. No one else. Nothing else gets to have you. You hear me?”
It was soooo intriguing, unusual and completely unexpected. Then the pace kicked into another gear near the end, and it turned into a wild emotional rollercoaster. The tension was absolutely insane!
You're in for great spice, an unconventional plot, an incredible atmosphere, powerful characters, and one hell of a grand gesture ❤🔥
And now I'm off to book two💃
I wasn’t joking, I really couldn’t stop up until 2(3?)am, I somehow read through both the ballistic missile strike AND an annoying mosquito buzzing around my ear 🫠
I don’t even know how to review this without spoiling anything, because honestly - do yourself a favour and go in blind! I was all over the place the first half guessing what the hell was happening with Atlas and how it’s going to unfold! And Julien managed to be both surprisingly dirty and sweet 🤭
“You’re all mine. You’re my sweet little bunny, my darling boy to love on and hold. No one else. Nothing else gets to have you. You hear me?”
It was soooo intriguing, unusual and completely unexpected. Then the pace kicked into another gear near the end, and it turned into a wild emotional rollercoaster. The tension was absolutely insane!
You're in for great spice, an unconventional plot, an incredible atmosphere, powerful characters, and one hell of a grand gesture ❤🔥
And now I'm off to book two💃
July 13, 2026
I’m clearly an outlier here. Three stars feels generous, and I might end up lowering it. Although the plot was interesting, how am I supposed to believe in this relationship? Julian and Atlas have literally zero conversations where they get to know one another on a deeper level. This relationship is completely based on “I want to fuck you” vibes and Atlas’ condition. That’s it.
Do either of them having any interests? No clue. Does Julian ever mention hopes and dreams for his future? Nope. Are there any interesting conversations where Atlas talks about any of his family members? No. Do we find out anything about Julian’s mom, why she’s not around? Of course not. Do we know about any hardships or past hurts Julian has had in his life? How dare you ask, we must keep him one note at all costs. How do we get through 440 pages with neither MC having any sort of personality or any interesting characteristics, beyond Atlas’ sheer tops and his condition? There’s literally nothing holding these two together outside of sexual preferences. That’s it.
And the interesting plot? It became so repetitive! The lore could have been so much more interesting and in depth. What were those muttered Latin words? And did the solution have to be the most cliché, obvious one? I was hoping the plot would carry this story through to the end, so I could ignore how the relationship was lacking. But nope. That was lacking too.
Do either of them having any interests? No clue. Does Julian ever mention hopes and dreams for his future? Nope. Are there any interesting conversations where Atlas talks about any of his family members? No. Do we find out anything about Julian’s mom, why she’s not around? Of course not. Do we know about any hardships or past hurts Julian has had in his life? How dare you ask, we must keep him one note at all costs. How do we get through 440 pages with neither MC having any sort of personality or any interesting characteristics, beyond Atlas’ sheer tops and his condition? There’s literally nothing holding these two together outside of sexual preferences. That’s it.
And the interesting plot? It became so repetitive! The lore could have been so much more interesting and in depth. What were those muttered Latin words? And did the solution have to be the most cliché, obvious one? I was hoping the plot would carry this story through to the end, so I could ignore how the relationship was lacking. But nope. That was lacking too.
July 12, 2026
THE WAY I STAYED UP ALLLL NIGHT FOR THIS ONE. Started and finished the same day. Stayed up till 2 am to finish. I work at 5 am. Putting this one down was just not an option. So much smut, but imo, was good smut that was super well written and didn’t completely overshadow the plot. It was very dark and DEFINITELY read the triggers, this one most certainly put the dub in dub con.
July 18, 2026
I saw a recommendation for this series on IG and the paranormal aspect really grabbed my attention so thought I'd give this a chance. The first one was my least fave. I couldn't quite get with the couple and the paranormal aspect in this one was just a tad uncomfortable to me but I mean I finished all 3 so don't know what that says about me lol the pet name was also an ick for me and pair that with overuse was a bit much for me and that occurs with all 3.
July 14, 2026
5 ⭐️ I could not put this book down!! When I did inevitably have to pause for a few hours to return to life, I thought there’s no way I’m this obsessed with this story centered around a demon giving one of the MMCs orgasms. Between the castle, Julian, and the beautifully soft descriptions of Atlas, I felt so immersed in this book. Although this book is done, I still have SO MANY questions and can’t wait to read books 2 & 3. Such as - WTF is up with Atticus, and even more so, WTF is up with Landon - my theory is that Landon is a paranormal being but I’m so intrigued of how all their own story lines will play out. I hope we get to see more of Julian and Atlas ❤️🔥
July 13, 2026
4.5/5, such a good read!
I loved the characters, especially Atlas and Abigail. She is such a sweet presence in the book, and it allows us to see Julian get comfortable pretty quickly, considering he is in such a new environment. Atlas is such an angel. His internal turmoil is so good but also hard to read because he doesn’t treat himself the way he deserves to be treated. Thank god for Julian! And the description of Atlas’s outfits from Julian’s point of view? So good. I also loved the dynamic that the whole family had, with Atticus being such a good brother, and Theodora being such a sweet mom. I like that their family dynamic wasn’t difunctional, so the other parts of the plot could take the spotlight. The plot was very good, it kept me on the edge of my seat, and I had a hard time putting the book down. I also appreciate that there were still a lot of questions that remain unanswered.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding, I felt like I could really see Atlas walking around the castle in his cute outfits. And just in general, the vibes of the book were so spooky and vivid. Everything was cloudy and foggy, and the descriptions of the temperature changes made it feel like I was there in the castle. I also really liked how strange everything seemed at the beginning of the book, and then it slowly fell into place. Like why was Atlas acting so weird? Why was he so hot? Why did he spend his days looking out at the water? Lastly, a detail that I really appreciated (that I also LOVED from MDG/MSA), was the pet names! Unfortunately, everything reminds me of MDG, and I don’t think I will ever recover.
I loved the characters, especially Atlas and Abigail. She is such a sweet presence in the book, and it allows us to see Julian get comfortable pretty quickly, considering he is in such a new environment. Atlas is such an angel. His internal turmoil is so good but also hard to read because he doesn’t treat himself the way he deserves to be treated. Thank god for Julian! And the description of Atlas’s outfits from Julian’s point of view? So good. I also loved the dynamic that the whole family had, with Atticus being such a good brother, and Theodora being such a sweet mom. I like that their family dynamic wasn’t difunctional, so the other parts of the plot could take the spotlight. The plot was very good, it kept me on the edge of my seat, and I had a hard time putting the book down. I also appreciate that there were still a lot of questions that remain unanswered.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding, I felt like I could really see Atlas walking around the castle in his cute outfits. And just in general, the vibes of the book were so spooky and vivid. Everything was cloudy and foggy, and the descriptions of the temperature changes made it feel like I was there in the castle. I also really liked how strange everything seemed at the beginning of the book, and then it slowly fell into place. Like why was Atlas acting so weird? Why was he so hot? Why did he spend his days looking out at the water? Lastly, a detail that I really appreciated (that I also LOVED from MDG/MSA), was the pet names! Unfortunately, everything reminds me of MDG, and I don’t think I will ever recover.
July 18, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up. This has a cool setting, a mystery, forbidden desires & tension. And spice too! Interesting side characters as well, which I think some will end up with their own book, since this is a trilogy of sorts. I love MM romance, but so much is the same. This was a great romance, but different than everything I’ve read. It does have a HEA for the main couple, but leaves many unanswered questions for the next books. Can’t wait to move on to book 2, which is already out! (I love that I don’t have to wait months or years for the next book!)
July 16, 2026
Wait, so the guy kills himself for their son and in return they give him his job back? What the actual fuck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews