The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall

Starred review from March 18, 2019
Smith’s first Dark Seductions novel is an alluring and haunting gothic romance about the secrets and ghosts of a cursed English noble family. In the present day, American Jane Seyton, studying for her history PhD, goes to Weymouth, England, to research the tragic events that occurred at the legendary Stormclyffe Castle. She is not prepared for the supernatural elements that possess both her and handsome Bastian Carlisle, Earl of Weymouth. Rich and evocative descriptions of the castle create an eerie backdrop for the collision of past and present lives as Bastian and Jane experience the visions and emotions of Richard and Isabelle, an earlier Earl and Countess of Weymouth, who died under suspicious circumstances in 1811. The connection between Jane and Bastian is conveyed with sensuality that is at once seductive and chilling, further capturing the sense of ominous, unearthly matters within the walls of the ancestral manor that threaten the protagonists’ lives. The mystery behind Richard and Isabelle’s deaths, the hauntings, and Jane and Bastian’s own struggles to survive are cleverly explored, making for an enthralling plot. This unusual and spellbinding mix of Regency and contemporary romance will satisfy a wide range of readers.