Castle of the Wolf

by Sandra Schwab

Into the Darkness

Celia Fussell's father is dead, and she is reduced to the status of a poor relation in the house of her brother, the new baron, and his shrewish wife. A life of misery looms ahead.

But, no. There is hope. Deep in the Black Forest, in the Great Duchy of Baden, stands Celia's inheritance. Among fir trees so dark they almost look black, The Castle of Wolfenbach rises. It is a fortress of solitude, of secrets, of old wounds and older mysteries. But it is hers. And only one thing stands in her way: its former master, the hermit, the enigma . . . the man she is obliged to marry.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Gothic, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

Sandra Schwab has been delighting readers with her unusual historical romances since 2005. She particularly likes the quirky bits of history, so in her books, you’ll find Roman pet eels, Regency gentlemen with green hair, and medieval tournaments in Victorian Britain. She writes both m/m and m/f historicals - happy endings always guaranteed!

She lives in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, with a sketchbook, a ukulele (well, more than one), and an ever-expanding library.

Reviews

[Sarah Mac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Likes:
-the setting
-playful reference to 'The Castle of Wolfenbach' by Eliza Parsons (an actual gothic novel of the Regency period)

Dislikes:
-everything else

So sweet & cutesy that I could feel my blood sugar spiking as I read. Y'all know my track record with sweet romance. There are exceptions, natch, but in general I'm not into rom-com & banter & adorbz battle of the sexes. *barf*

...But then the massive, muscular hero (who lost a leg in battle, boo-hoo) started angsting & yelling & moping about how FUGLY 'N DAMAGED!!! he is, & that tipped me over the edge. Handing me a mopey, whiny hero is a sure route to DNF & the dreaded 1-star rating. Be angry; hate the world; hate yourself. But FFS, don't subject me to puerile spew about your faux-ugliness & use your physical flaws as a crutch for self-serving pity. Maybe some girls are turned on by having to mother a growly sex-god out of a whiny, baseless funk, but I AM NOT. Man the hell up & move on with your life.

DNF + a healthy helping of STFU.

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine a scenario where one is just browsing with no time in hands to devote to the long list of books that are begging to be read, but then accidently stumbles upon a story thread that instantly attracts that no matter what, it just need to be read and READ NOW!

Castle of The Wolf by Sandra Scwabb was exactly that, a book that was picked out of my random perusal of TBR’s. 2 things immediately attracted me, one it is GOTHIC and second, the plotline of ‘Beauty and The Beast’.

This gothic story set in a village in Germany was definitely interesting but certain parts of it did feel silly and that is why the 3 stars rating. I loved the character of heroine, Celia who has spunk and courage to face the wolf in the castle and the absence of any shame in feeling the hots for the guy. I loved how it is her imagination that runs wild when it comes to Fenrir and the love that develops between the two of them was a pleasure to read. However, a returned war hero crying about a lost leg and the various names that Cissy bestows on Fenrir felt childish as it became a little too much than can be considered sweet. The suspense element added a dash of intrigue to the gothic aspect of the story and the small segment of the parts of castle wall was simply delightful.

A fast paced gothic romance that is sure to be gobbled by fans of this genre.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India and twitter.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I did have some issues with it, which is why it didn't get a higher rating from me. There was some anachronistic language (bro, "what the heck") and a slightly foolish (but hot) villain. The characters were distinct, but there wasn't much to set them apart from any other romance novel characters (except perhaps the hero's tendency toward histrionics). They were likeable though. I loved the gothic feel and the German setting. And the romance! I adored it. I'd read this again.

3.5 stars.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Truly Enchanted!"

Celia Fussle's father has passed away. In his will he states that Celia will inherit the Castle of Wolfenbach in the Black Forest if she marries the master of the castle. Celia can either accept these terms or live with her brother and his spoiled wife and be known as the spinster sister. She looks at her adventure to Germany as one of her many fairytales she studied with her father and sets out to claim her home. Celia arrives at the castle to find it in disrepair with gargoyles, eerie legends to make one shudder, and the nightmarish stories about its master.

Fenris von Wolfenbach, lost a leg in the war against Napoleon and wears his wooden leg as if it is a statement that he is not whole and no one should forget it. He is rude and ill tempered, and tries to chase Celia away. However, Celia doesn't scare easily. She begins to see the wounded wolf in a different light. His ferocious growl, dark ways and brooding is his protection from being hurt from the outside world. Ridicule and pity made him shy away from reality, but Celia sees him as the man he is: honorable, brave and strong. Now the only problem is she needs to make him see it as well. Others with devious intent do not want this to happen and would stoop to murder if necessary.

This historical is touched with a bit of the paranormal as the legend of the Wolfenbachs is slowly revealed. I loved the feel and ambiance of the story taking the reader to a different time and place within the Black Forest of Germany. The heroine is charming in the way she tames the wolf, and brings out the true honorable man hiding from the world because of his imperfection. This is a fairytale with a happily-ever-after ending.

This reader was truly enchanted!

reviewed for PNR Paranormal Romance
www.paranormalromance.org

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really like this book that much. I thought that is was slightly slow getting into and didn't hold my attention very well. The romance was convincing and was pretty great. The Gothic atmosphere was pretty cool cause y'all should know I like Gothic books. It has some drama, some fantastical elements, crazy relatives, sex, and amazing romance. I liked it okay and give it a 3.5 stars.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, here's what I remember about this one--read it a few years ago.

The prose is just lovely. I think that even if the story had stunk, I'd have given it at least three stars just because of the writing style and the fairytale references. I'd love to see more romance novels written elegantly like this. Also enjoyed the unusual setting, the Black Forest.

It's a Beauty and the Beast story, essentially, but I have to admit that having the brooding hero's parents living nearby mars the ambiance some. I guess I like these stories better when they occur in relative isolation. A guy just doesn't seem so Byronic if he can drop in for Mom's home cooking.

I also found it unrealistic that the hero's brother, and much of society, would have been so disgusted by a man maimed in war. OK, if the brother used that as an excuse, but secretly just wanted to take the inheritance, that would be one thing. But he seemed to deeply believe it. Wouldn't people think the guy was a hero and that his injuries were proof of his courage?

And it almost didn't need the slight paranormal element at all. It said "paranormal" on the spine, and with the title, I kept expecting the hero to be a werewolf. He's not. There's a paranormal scene at the end that kind of comes out of the blue.

But, gorgeous prose, and steamy love scenes.

[Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

well, what can i say about this one.. the book was quite enjoyable. but there were also a lot of things that annoyed me greatly. the idea was awesome. the setting, the characters, the castle, everything was to my liking there. what got me angry was the use of language. it seemed quite out of place and all the silly names cissy gives to fenrir are simply ridiculous. that was too much for me. the sex scenes.. well, they have to be unrealistic, or it would not be romance, haha! you cannot help it. but there was not too much of it, so that was fine, too. one big plus to the final solution for leopold. now that was witty!!

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

A short and sweet historical romance with a slightly magical twist and fairy tale atmosphere.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Not only did I not want this novel to end, but I was ready for Cissy and Fenris to fall in love from the jump.

This is perfect for Gothic romance readers and fairy tale enthusiasts (not just because the leads bond over their love of the subject; there are beautiful direct/indirect refs. to RRH and BATB in particular: Cissy likens herself to an Angela Carter-esque RRH in her wanting to seduce/outsmart her wolf, and don't even get me started on whenever she calls him "my wolf" when she realizes he's been hurt... very Jean Couteau "Beast, I am here!"). I loved the descriptions of the the cold clinging to Cissy all along her travels to Wolfenbach and the glowing candles lighting her bedroom being her only form of solace until Fenris finally comes 'round.

I liked that Cissy was wanting to be the seductress, but upon learning his love language, we found that it wasn't a fiery touch, but sweet affirmations. Just before they do-the-do, Fenris nearly cries saying "not out of pity", and Cissy spends her foreplay touching him softly, complimenting every new bit of his body she exposes, all while murmuring "no, my wolf, never out of pity". Cissy gets the feeling he's been touched starved due to his injury (he's got a wooden stub for a walking leg), and there's a beautiful scene (one of many) when in the afterglow, her leg brushes against his stub and she doesn't flinch, but rather feels awful that no one has probably done that in so long.

There's a surprising amount of sweet smut. I literally want to tab it all... and I think I might.

Thought I did see the big bad coming from a mile away (Leopold, Fenris's younger arrogant brother is out to off Fenris for "destroying their family"), this isn't the reason for the .5 take away because:
1.It brought about another RRH ref: Mrs. C. warns Cissy against the man who glitters isn't all all gold/look out for the menace behind the mask, very TCOW "the worst wolves are hairy on the inside" bit.
2.The near SA of Cissy brought out a kind interaction between herself and Fenris: he literally shields her with his body/puts his coat around her.

Don't get me started on the cutesy Christmas: it starts with his rushing after Cissy when she's going to a carnival in the cold. Fenris throws her funny dunce cap into the forest in order to replace it with knitted hat, admonishing her for leaving home without proper protection. Then, she sweet talks him into chopping down/decorating a tree (that ends with his kissing her beneath what I assume is Mistletoe).

Also random bit: how sad was it when he says "What right does the King of Dwarves have to fall in love with the princess?" My heart! My wolf!

My qualm is the rushed ending: there was talk of them having children, but we never see this. I would've loved the ending be Cissy revealing her pregnancy to Fenris as he's working to recover from his injuries, and then the epilogue be the slightly older child meeting the newborn second, allowing Fenris and Cissy to finally have the family ties they were longing for (I really felt for how much she missed her dad).

I want to say more, but I also just want more people to read this. Did I picture a certain singer as Fenris? Yes. Yes I did. Am I going to say who? Hmm...

[Pam Faste aka Peejakers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this book was really a kick! So, this was something in the way of a cross between Beauty and the Beast, Cold Comfort Farm, and an old-fashioned but somewhat tongue-in-cheek gothic romance – one that honors and sends up the tradition all at once.

There’s lots of humor, some of it almost slapstick, and lots of fairy tale references, which I loved because I love fairy tales! Besides the obvious Beauty and the Beast, there are elements of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, plus a (to me) unfamiliar tale about a dwarf in love with an enchanted she’s a sheep! princess – not sure this last one is an existing tale or an invention of the author, but either way its charming.

Castle of the Wolf opens with a suitably atmospheric gothic scene: A gloomy carriage-ride in the relentlessly pouring rain, a grieving heroine traveling to the funeral of her beloved father.

Celia, aka Cissy, at first glance seems to be a quintessential Victorian gothic-romance heroine: Innocent, plucky, bookish, and at 27 years old, a “hopeless” spinster. With little chance of marriage, the death of her beloved father has left Cissy not only grieving, but facing the dreary and appalling prospect of living out her life as the dependent and probable unpaid servant of her ineffectual older brother and his odious wife, a singularly smug, condescending and pretentious woman.

Cissy’s fortunes change when she receives a surprising legacy: A crumbling Black Forest castle one no one even knew her father had owned. There’s one slight catch, however . . . In order to inherit, she must marry the castle’s erstwhile master, an exceptionally unhappy & bad tempered recluse. But it’s an adventure Cissy is more than happy to embrace if it means avoiding playing Cinderella to her wicked sister-in-law.

She begins to wonder if she’s made the wrong decision, however, when people she meets along the way behave as if she’s just she’s just told them she’s bound for Castle Dracula when she reveals her destination, doing pretty much everything but crossing themselves.

She takes this in stride, however, and continues on.

Then she reaches her castle, and the real adventure begins.

I really enjoyed this book, despite what I thought was a bit of unevenness.

Cissy is adorable and basically a riot, while a bit erratic, characterization-wise. Though in a way, I feel like that’s probably pretty realistic, because if I try to imagine myself as a romance heroine, no doubt people would say the same of me!

What I loved about her was that though she’s kind and sweet, she’s also smart, opinionated and a bit irritable; short on patience for idiots, rudeness, poor housekeeping, and other nonsense, all of which she finds in plentiful supply at the Castle of Wolfenbach.

She’s also given to colorful “expletives” – not the kind you’re thinking of though! Cissy’s brand of expletive runs along the lines of phrases like “Puffed up peagoose!” and “Bugbear” and “Dang my buttons!” Which kept me giggling all through the book :D

What I liked less was the way she behaves at times like a complete bubble-head, too easily swayed by a handsome face, missing the (to me) obvious motivations behind some of the hero’s (to her) inexplicable behavior, failing to guess the rather obvious culprit behind a couple of murder attempts.

Yet other times she’s a shrewd woman, perceptive enough to know how to motivate people into doing what she wants.

There’s also the fact that she starts out as such an innocent in matters of sex that it almost feels like caricature, though perhaps that’s not such a stretch considering the historical setting. But once she gets a little information, she goes from parody-of-innocence to absolute bawdyness in no time flat. I found the sudden change somewhat less than convincing, but her innocence is both cute and hilarious by turns, and she’s so joyously sex-positive after that I was kind of like, eh, whatever, I’m good with it :)

And then there’s the hero. Fenris Wolfenbach (now there’s a name!) is perhaps the grumpiest grump of a romantic hero I’ve ever encountered, though to be fair, not without reason. He’s a near lampoon of the tormented hero archetype, resolutely grim and miserable and not a little self-pitying. Not to mention, at times, utterly boorish. This might sound annoying, and it can be, yet it’s somehow sort of comically annoying. Or, to put it in Cissy’s perspective:

“Sometimes she wanted to go to him and whack him over the head in the hope it would right his addled brain.”

LOL!

Fenris too shows some of erratic characterization I saw in Cissy. I felt there were a couple of rather abrupt transitions from ill-tempered, stoical despair to tender, seductive lover, and back again. I think this was an attempt to show him as gradually rather than suddenly and unrealistically changing. But for me it felt more like a series of instant shifts from black to white, then white to black again, with long periods of stasis in between, culminating in a final shift from black to white.

But despite this, Fenris shows himself to be a true romance hero, deeply vulnerable, tenderly romantic, and sexy as hell, and ultimately very attractive.

Again, I found a lot to like, so my complaints were minor quibbles that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book.

Castle of the Wolf is a sweet, funny, bawdy, romance with an appealing heroine and hero, paying homage to Grimm’s Fairy Tales and the Black Forest as an added bonus. Recommended if you like that sort of thing :)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book, in spite of it not being at all what I expected. I first picked it up because it sounded like a paranormal retelling of Beauty and the Beast, or at least in some way an homage to the old fairy tale. I was expecting werewolves or, well, at least some paranormal something. What I got instead was a delightful historical romance with a touch of gothic detail, a feisty heroine, an angst-ridden hero and some vague, possibly paranormal "interludes" which interspersed the book but didn't actually have any effect on the plot.

The writing itself was well done. The descriptions of the setting were definitely a highlight. The heroine was spunky and active in her plot; she didn't spend too much time sitting around moaning and wailing and gnashing her teeth waiting to be rescued. She did it a little bit, but she more than made up for it as soon as she made the decision to take action. (And as a bonus, there were no embarrassing or ridiculously over the top euphemisms!)

The hero was mostly right up my alley with his wounded soldier background and surly demeanor, but I did feel like he wasn't written as well as he could have been. He had some deep-seated insecurities, but the reader wasn't given any insight into them until the very end of the book. Most of the time, he just sat around waxing poetic about how ugly he was, which was an utter crock of shit. Instead of feeling the sympathy I ought to have felt, I mostly just wanted to throttle him for angsting without reason. (Especially not after the night he spent with the heroine! What was THAT sudden 180 about?!) Overall, once I got to the end and finally had a better picture of what had caused his insecurities, I felt a little more inclined to give him some credit, but I would have appreciated that insight much earlier in the story. I also felt some mild annoyance at the lack of consistency in the translations of foreign words and phrases sprinkled into the text. Sometimes, there would be an English translation, and other times the reader was left to wonder what certain things meant. It was only a minor issue for me as I don't feel it subtracted from my ability to understand or enjoy the story, but it was irksome to be given expectations that I'd have translations, only to not receive them half the time.

My biggest problem with this book is the fact that it is labeled as paranormal romance. It is most assuredly NOT paranormal. It is a lovely historical romance with a touch of gothic tropes and some delightful fairy tale nods, but the only paranormal elements to be found in the story are in the random interludes in-between chapters where we get a few short paragraphs that vaguely imply that the gargoyles of the castle are watching the events of the story play out. In the end, it is implied that they are the actors in doling out the comeuppance to the villain, but it's all so vague that it could just as easily not have been in the story at all. A reader could easily skip those pages and they would not lose one thread of the plot or one ounce of enjoyment. Honestly, they just felt tacked on as a kind of afterthought in order to shove the book into the paranormal section, which is more of a disservice to this book than it deserves. It only serves to alienate readers who actually want a paranormal story while avoiding readers who would thoroughly enjoy the historical romance it actually is. It's a pretty awful bait-and-switch to pull on readers, and generally tends to be a terrible marketing strategy.

Overall, I enjoyed it for what it truly was enough to overlook that flaw, but I know a lot of readers who wouldn't feel the same.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this one mainly for the gothic aspects and the setting. The book takes place in the early 1800's in a castle in the middle of the Black Forest in Germany. The setting was absolutely fantastic and I really fell in love with the castle. It was dark and gothic and just stunning and spooky all in one.

Celia, called Cissy, was a very likable character. While at times a bit meek and quiet, she finds her inner ferocity and stands up for herself and what she, and those she cares for, deserve. She is headstrong and brave and while very naive initially, can see through the bad in people once it's slightly revealed. She doesn't go in denial about things, like some girls would and speaks up when it comes down to it. It takes her awhile to find her feet but once she does she doesn't let anyone walk all over her. At least not really. There are points when I wanted her to do more, but I understood why she didn't.

The master of this castle, Fenris, is who she must marry. There's a lot of similarities to Beauty and the Beast, and in fact it's mentioned by Cissy herself a time or two. Fenris isn't a beast, but he believes himself to not be a whole man and that Cissy deserves better. This is not a new theme in romance and didn't really hold too many surprises. There's the normal back and forth as he thaws a bit and then goes back to being the beast. He frustrated me plenty. At the same time I found I really did like him. Even though he was ridiculous, he still held this appeal and I understood why Cissy would genuinely care for him, even when he wasn't kind. The moments they had together, though far between, were precious and beautiful. Seeing his true self revealed his true kindness.

I wish that the mystery aspect had been brought out a bit more and developed further. It never really became a full mystery but it was what eventually tied everything together in the end. I also wish that the romance hadn't been so back and forth, but it was the center of the story. The heart of it all. This is a romance and that is the main theme. I also felt like the dialogue at times didn't fit. Some of the words used seems a bit silly and other then a few times of Fenris speaking German, I didn't really feel his German-ness, I guess. This is a minor complaint as it didn't bother me too much as I read.

I appreciate that the cover is something a little different though, this appeals to me much more then the bodice ripper covers.

All in all I found myself enjoying this one quite a lot. There was just something that really appealed to me even though adult romance isn't always my thing, I did enjoy this one. I would give it 3.5 stars if I did half ratings.

You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I absolutely loved this book! It is a very different type of paranormal romance, not what you would expect. Fenris is a very tortured soul and believes he does not deserve to be loved because of his past and what happened to him physically so, he pushes people away by being mean and cold-hearted. Celia believes in fairytales and believes that she can break through Fenris's stone-cold heart and bring out the true man inside. This book shows you that you don't have to be perfect or "whole" to be loved and accepted. I would recommend this book to anyone who believes that true love can conquer all and that anyone can find happiness.

I also have to say that I really liked how Germany was the main setting in the story. Hearing someone talk about the Rhein River and talking a bit of german in the story brought back great memories of when I went to Germany in 2005 (I also saw the Rhein River).

[Peyton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Update 3/10/19: Well, my tastes have changed a bit in the past 7 years, and now this book doesn't delight me. I still liked the Gothic setting, but the hero was so very annoying, not to mention mean. Going from 4 stars to 2 and I'm going to donate it.

Review from 2012:

This is on my keeper shelf with its hints of Beauty and the Beast. Schwab has a talent of creating suspenseful Gothic settings and strong heroines. I will read whatever she offers with the barest amounts of scepticism.

Additionally, the sister-in-law with her mangled French in the very beginning cracked me up a lot. Really great stuff.

[S. Rutherford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very odd book. I have never read a romance story (or any story, for that matter), that actually has Chapter Interludes. They almost read like poems but they aren't and instead are more like very short descriptions of whatever the story is based around (it almost makes me feel like I am reading Poe's House of Usher). This is a nice gothic romance.

It's worth looking at Castle of the Wolf. It was probably one of the best books I've ever picked up. I'm VERY happy I got it. I'm almost upset it's finished, too. It's like a darker version of Beauty and the Beast. I highly recommend it.

[BJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Gothic mixed up fairy tale, wolves, gargoyles and a sort of MOC. The H was badly hurt in Napoleonic war, and believes he lost his family's honour. The h is sweet and believes if they marry it will solve their issues. She was far more brave than the H, who seemed to have PTSD, so he was quite shy and wimpy, and too often very grumpy. It's very much a fairy tale, melodramatic and OTT, she forgave too much and he was a weak man.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a review of this on Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books and kind of expected it to be better. Really, it was a cute, quick read, but I hated that the heroine said things like "bugbear." She wasn't a very well-drawn character and the stupid names like "bugbear" were nearly too much for me.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. The sexual tension was done very well IMO, at a certain point I literally wouldn't put it down (I rarely say that literally, I do a lot of reading in small increments).

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery and a grouchy man who the heroine has to marry, and does her best to bring out of his mood. Fun, fast read. A bit paranormal with the Legend of the Wolves and Castle.

Read May 25, 2010. Reread Mar 18, 2014.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing. There and about a thousand too many romance novels set in Regency England, completely ignoring the gorgeous settings of other European countries. The dark German forest really adds a whole other dimension to the story.

[Liewen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gothic romance x smart romance. Also, loved the setting [I’ve never properly been to the Black Forest, but I know the forests of the northern Vosgian mountains by heart, having grown (mainly) close to them, and it’s a nice ersatz of the Black Forest area]

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a totally random book i bought at a used bookstore. it was surprisingly good, YAY werewolves. the story line is not amazing, but the characters are.

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I couldn't put it down until I finished it!

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great dark read, a nice change from the regular HR.

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a slog to read. About halfway through I almost dnf, I skimmed hard the last 100 pages. A romance constructed of cliche after cliche after cliche. I wanted to like this book, I really did. I liked the beginning. I liked the set up. But God...as soon as Leopold showed up this thing unravelled fast. The amount of times that guy's face 'mottled in anger'? Yeesh.
Cissy was a decent lead. I liked her tenacity and I liked that she was a dreamer. Fenris was effing awful. Both the brothers were hideous and I wish Cissy could have just kept the castle without the stipulation of marriage....which wow. That took a jarring turn fast. The pacing in this book was knee jerk fast and I felt no time was given to build up anything bt C and F romantically.
Honestly tho? This book gets one star for falling into the 'heroine is accosted and almost sexually assaulted one too many times so the grumpy asshole hero can jump in and save her while berating her for her stupidity' trope. This happens a lot in this book. A Lot.
I can do without whiny insecure heroes who wallow in self pity and Fenris was teeming with that vibe, along with a hideous amount of possessiveness and jealousy. Can someone explain to me why it would be Cissy's fault that Leopold looks at her in a way Fenris doesn't like? Seriously.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast theme was spellbinding. I loved the fairy-tale feeling with a little bit of magic. The play of good and evil wound it's way through this story in a way that was very intriguing. The characters had their dark secrets and surprises, which I kind of guessed at but still found entertaining. Sandra Schwab is a talented writer who creates a world unto itself with fine details and paints a picture with her words. I could feel as well as see the deep, dark woods surrounding the castle and felt the castle itself with its gargoyles and ramparts. The inanimate objects became characters that made the plot come alive in a unique way. The sexual tension plays out very well and I have to say that when it comes to a head, it is quite spectacularly erotic. This was just the kind of twisted fairy-tale that I enjoy.

[Brooke Olivier · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the passing of her father, Celia Fussell is given an ultimatum with the reading of his will. Celia must either remain in the house of her brother and his wife (only to be treated as an inferior spinster) or she can go after her inheritance of Castle Wolfenbach and the stipulation that comes with it...her pre-arranged husband. Mystery unfolds in every corner, but Celia learns that not all beauty is seen by the eye. And vanity can be dangerous.

She Walks In Beauty - Mediaeval Baebes
Fang - Chelsea Wolfe
Norn - Myrkur

[BURMA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The morose, dark hero is not a monster nor a cripple. He lost one leg in a battle against Napoleon and feels soiled and defeated and guilty and horrible and unworthy of love and.... But Celia arrives and her stubborn love slowly-lowly changes the situation. Agreable reading but nothing extraordinary.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. We were going along really well until about 40% of the way through. The pacing was good, the spooky tone was great, and then bam! A time skip and we threw it all out the window. I ended up skipping about 80 pages and I don't really feel like I missed much. I think this one will be leaving my shelves.

[Karla Brandenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

a worthy gothic tale

At times a tad far fetched and “one step too far,” overall I enjoyed the story. The descriptions were vivid and entertaining. Some of the prose was distancing, which kept me from fully enjoying the story, but if gothic is your thing (it is mine), it’s worth the read.