Stormclyffe Hall has a dark and dangerous past. One that
Bastian Carlisle, the Earl of Weymouth, would very much like
to put behind him. Determined to ignore the ghost stories
and the evil looks the villagers give him, Bastian has come
to Stormclyffe Hall with one purpose in mind: rebuild the
Hall to its former glory and finish the work his late father
began. This might be easier said than done after a
meddlesome, and annoyingly attractive, American scholar
arrives on his doorstep determined to uncover the secrets
behind his family's tragic history.
All Jane Seyton needs to finish her doctorate studies at
Cambridge is proof that her theory behind Stormclyffe Hall's
mysterious past is correct. For years she has been pulled
to Stormclyffe Hall by some inexplicable force. Her
obsession has cost her much, including her fiancé, but she
is determined that it won't cost her the degree she has
worked so hard to achieve. Standing in her way, though, is
the stoic owner of the Hall, the Earl of Weymouth, who is
just as determined to keep her out of his family's personal
affairs. When a strange occurrence in town leads Jane to
take refuge at the Hall itself, uncovering the truth soon
becomes a necessity. Can Bastian keep Jane safe from the
evil that seems to lurk everywhere and threatens them all?
When one hears the word "gothic novel" many images come to
mind. Cowering damsels. Mustache twirling villains.
Dashing heroes. Haunted castles. Well, two out of four
isn't bad. Actually, two out of four is fantastic! THE
SHADOWS OF STORMCLYFFE HALL is not your typical gothic
novel, but in a very good way. Thrilling and mysterious, it
draws you in and holds you captive while you experience the
dangers and excitement right alongside the hero and heroine.
The characters are well organized and reach out in an eerily
direct manner to make you empathize with them. The
personalities of the hero and heroine are revealed slowly
through plot twists and dialogue, instead of back story,
allowing the reader to truly become immersed in the story.
Other, supporting characters lend to the overall eerie feel
of the story in ways that will having you considering a
night light.
Bottom Line: Lauren Smith does a masterful job setting up a
dark and twisted plot and keeps it going full force with
little-to-no lag time. To say I am impressed would be an
understatement.
To defeat a dark evil, they must face his family’s past…
Bastian Carlisle, the Earl of Weymouth, doesn’t believe in
ghosts. Even though tragedy and mysterious hauntings have
driven his family away from his ancestral home, Stormclyffe
Hall, he is determined to restore the castle to its former
glory. His plans are disrupted when a stubborn American
shows up on his doorstep hoping to pry into his family’s
tragic history.
Jane Seyton, an American graduate student, is convinced
there’s more to the tragedy of Stormclyffe Hall than history
claims. Ever the scholar, she is determined to discover the
truth, even if it means putting up with the arrogant, yet
sexy, Bastian.
Although Bastian wants nothing to do with the pushy
American, it soon becomes clear that something evil is in
the house—and that something is targeting both Jane and
Bastian. The two must join forces to purge the ghosts of
Stormclyffe Hall once and for all—even as they try to fight
a physical attraction between them that grows more and more
impossible to deny.