My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Gothic romance as a genre is such a lure for me, a forbidding mansion, the suspense and mystery surrounding the inhabitants of the place, the naive heroine who stumbles into the darkness and the eerie vibe, and of course the romance with a hero who is until the end not clearly depicted as a positive character, there’s so much that attracts me in the genre that I simply adore reading them.
Seduced By A Stranger, is book #5 in the Dark Gothic Series by Eve Silver, and what a fantastic story in this genre that was gripping and menacing from the first chapter itself. I believe, all the books in the series can be perfectly read as standalone and I remember reading book #1 and liking it enough to add this author to my toppling TBR.
Fair warning to readers, this book has very gruesome and gory murder details that can be off-putting for some and the tone of the story is honestly a little depressing. The secrets that hide in the past of both the hero and heroine are painful to read. I absolutely loved the slow seduction that Gabriel employs with Catherine and the romance was maddeningly steamy. The play of words between them was another exciting factor. There’s this whole chill and aloof persona on the surface but Eve Silver manages to convey the passion that is waiting to spill over every single time they face each other.
OK, I did guess the mystery element of the story, well, reading non-stop would probably cause that effect for most thrillers, though I did enjoy the unraveling of the entire tale with the mystique of St. Aubyn estate.
Deliciously creepy ⛈️ ⛈️ ⛈️ ⛈️ ⛈️
Destitute and desperate, Catherine Weston accepts the summons from her childhood friend Madeline St. Aubyn to attend her at Cairncroft Abbey, a place of secrets, lies and murder. Madeline’s health is in a poor state and she is terrified of her cousin, Gabriel. But Gabriel has quite a different effect on Catherine, stirring longings and desires she believed long buried.
Gabriel St. Aubyn is haunted by the horrors of both his past and his present, horrors he conceals behind a remote, unapproachable facade. He is drawn to Catherine, but is determined to protect her from the tragedies that yet have claws sunk deep in his soul.
Then a young woman is found dead, and Madeline’s ravings point to a link between this horrific crime and Gabriel—and Catherine must decide if he is a man worthy of her love or a sinister stranger determined to make her his next victim.
Note: All books in the Dark Gothic series can be read as stand-alone novels.
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