Title: The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall
Author: Lauren Smith
Genre: Gothic Romance
Book Blurb:
Haunted, schmaunted.
Bastian, infamous playboy and the current Earl of Weymouth doesn’t believe his English castle is haunted. So what if a few windows and lightbulbs shatter? That happens. OK, bleeding portraits are hard to explain… But he is not going to be deterred. Not even by Jane, a seductive-as-sin grad student who has assigned herself the task of ghost hunting at Stormclyffe Hall. All Bastian wants is to restore his ancestral home, not be distracted by her curvy hips, bedroom eyes and gorgeous smile—
Fine, maybe he does want to get naked with Ms. GhostBuster, but that’s only because she practically follows him around, nosing into his daily life. And yes, because she looks so damnably sexy, however, he refuses to give into lust. No matter how much she tempts him.
But when the ghosts up the ante and try to kill them, Bastian realizes he will have to keep Jane close. Very, very close. Purely to protect her, of course.
At least that’s what he tells himself. All bets—and some clothes—are off, as he shows her what a real earl is made of.
My Review:
Ever since she first saw a photograph of Stormclyffe Hall, Jane’s been obsessed with it. The history, the hauntings, the strange deaths, the nightmares all pull her to the Hall. She’s gone so far as to make it her grad school project. She needs first-hand evidence and so hops a plane to visit the Hall and the Earl of Weymouth. What she doesn’t expect is to find a drop-dead gorgeous man who ignites her body with just one look.
All Bastian wants is to fulfill his father’s dream and restore Stormclyffe Hall to its glory. He doesn’t believe in ghosts and refuses to believe his ancestral home is haunted. Sure, strange things happen he can’t explain but that doesn’t mean it’s haunted.
But all that changes the more he’s around Jane. Desire courses through his veins whenever she’s around him. He can’t explain his feelings of possession, attraction and protection, considering they’ve only just met. All he knows is that he has to be around her. But when something (or someone) puts Jane in danger, he realizes his grave mistake. Can he save her in time or are they repeating history?
I love gothic romance and this one is one of the best I’ve read. Historically accurate with a supernatural family curse, eerie hauntings and an all-encompassing romance, this book is a must-read. I was captivated from the very first page. Parts of it scared me but that could just be me reading it at 3:00 am. The ending was heart-stopping brilliance and showed me once again why I love Lauren Smith books. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5+ stars
Buy it now:
Direct from Author http://laurensmithbooks.com/product/the-shadows-of-stormclyffe-hall-2/
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Author Biography:
Lauren Smith is a USA Today Best-Selling author and an Oklahoma attorney. She knew she was destined to be a romance writer when she attempted to re-write the entire Titanic movie just to save Jack from drowning. Connecting with readers by writing emotionally moving, realistic and sexy romances no matter what time period is her passion. She’s won multiple awards in several romance subgenres including: New England Reader’s Choice Awards, Greater Detroit BookSeller’s Best Awards, Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-Finalist and a Semi-Finalist for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award. To connect with Lauren, visit her at www.laurensmithbooks.com or twitter at @LSmithAuthor.
Social Media Links:
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Twitter https://twitter.com/LSmithAuthor
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Reviewed by: Mrs. N