My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My very first thought when I finished reading the book, “ha, what does the cover mean for the story??😕”

Now on to my 2nd and 3rd thoughts 😂

This is my first book by Deanna Raybourn and to say I was hooked would be an understatement. Theodora Lestrange is a budding novelist who wants to escape the dreary life conjured by her sister and well-meaning brother-in-law after the demise of her grandfather. She has an admirer in her publisher Charles Beecroft and when she receives a letter from her school friend Cosmina to travel to Castle Dragulescu in Transylvania, she grabs it with both fingers and convinces all her near and dear ones for an adventure of a lifetime. Castle Dragulescu feels like the end of the world for Theodora as she gets introduced to the countess and her mysterious son, Count Andrei and where every nightmare is kinda daily occurrence.

The atmosphere created in this Gothic novel was brilliant, the Dracula feel and darkness to the brooding hero, the mysterious and pagan beliefs that people follow, everything adds to the intrigue for Theodora who is unable to let go of her practical Scottish approach in the wake of the otherworldly happenings inside the castle.

I loved the book for its feeling of menace, the brooding sinister atmosphere and the intense romance even though the hero’s attitude is like a prickly wild rose. Looking forward to more of this author’s works.