Series: Harlequin E Shivers (Box Set, Volume 3)
Publisher: Harlequin E
Release Date: July 7, 2014
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
Rating: ★★★★½

Declan James is the reluctant heir to a crumbling Welsh estate with a deadly history. He’ll never sell Stonecliff with a parapsychologist poking around fueling ghostly rumors. But his truce with beautiful Dr. Carly Evans is destined to end in bloodshed.

I’ve read three out of the four books from the Harlequin E Shivers Box Set, Volume 3, and THE GHOSTS OF CRAGERA BAY is definitely the darkest and spookiest. It gave me chills! After his biological father dies, Declan James/Meyers inherits his family’s dreary estate on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. All he wants to do is sell the dank place known as Stonecliff as soon as possible and return to his life in Seattle.

Unfortunately, there are two major problems interfering with Declan’s plan. First, the creepy bog on the property called The Devil’s Eye has been a hub of evil over the past few decades, including numerous murders and hauntings, and no one knows why. Secondly, persistent parapsychologist Dr. Carly Evans wants to investigate Stonecliff’s unexplained paranormal activity, and she has an idea about why evil is drawn to The Devil’s Eye. If she can prove her theory, it will make selling the place all the more difficult.

THE GHOSTS OF CRAGERA BAY was a fast-paced, creepy-good Gothic romance that I really enjoyed. I was intrigued by the complex and gruesome history of Stonecliff and the mysterious bog. Declan was the consummate Gothic hero – brooding, tortured, sexy, and needing a good woman to save his soul. Carly was a likable heroine, with smarts, determination, and a fearless streak a mile long.

While reading this, I didn’t realize there were two previous books connected to it — THE DEVIL’S EYE and THE WITCH OF STONECLIFF. You don’t need to read them in order to enjoy, but I would like to go back and find out more back story details, especially about Declan’s half-sisters, Brynn and Eleri.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.