Sandra Schwab, Castle of the Wolf

Castle of the Wolf

Sandra Schwab

Love Spell, May 2007, $6.99

ISBN: 0505527200

With the death of her father and the subsequent overly-garnished funeral arranged by her shrew of an in-law that dishonored his memory, Celia feels she has no choice except to claim her inheritance as living with her brother and his mean-spirited wife is not an option. However, to gain ownership of Castle Wolfenbach in the Great Duchy of Baden, she must meet the legal stipulation that she marry the present master of the castle, Fenris von Wolfenbach.

Believing this won't be difficult, Celia decides to take her chances on the allegedly deformed recluse so she journeys to the Black Forest. However, she finds an angry and acrimonious Napoleonic war veteran, left crippled during the fight. He demands she leave for he fears the sunshine she brings into his dark world as he assumes Celia will be like everyone else and choose his perfect brother. Instead Celia continues to reach out to the heart of the beast as she has fallen in love with Fen although he keeps rejecting her.

CASTLE OF THE WOLF is a fun, gothic romance with a delightful supernatural spin to freshen up the storyline. Celia is an obstinate heroine refusing to give up on her beloved beast even when his tortured soul makes her wonder if he is also performing evil deeds. Although for the most part Sandra Schwab employs the rudiments of the classic gothic thriller, the gargoyles add enough of a spin so that sub-genre fans will appreciate the tale and root for Celia to find happiness and contentment.

Harriet Klausner