The Mad Countess

Gothic Brides, Book 1

By: Erica Monroe

Narrated by: Sandra Elizabeth Cullum

True love must break the curse of madness in this dark, emotional Gothic Regency romance....

When Lady Claire Deering's mother enters an insane asylum, society is quick to scorn her, dubbing her the Mad Daughter. But Claire's tattered reputation is the least of her worries, as those rumors hold a horrible, terrifying truth: The Deering women are victims of a dark witch's curse. If Claire marries her true love, she'll spend the rest of her life under the thrall of madness.

To save herself, she remains isolated...until a will reading at a mysterious castle on All Hallows Eve places her in close confines with her dearest friend and secret love.

Bashful, scholarly Teddy Lockwood has never met a rule he didn't rejoice in following. When he unexpectedly inherits the Ashbrooke earldom, he's determined to turn over a new, more courageous leaf - starting with telling Claire he's loved her since they were children. The will reading presents the perfect opportunity to win her heart, even if he's vastly out of his element at this enigmatic, shadowy Cornwall castle.

Soon, the simmering passion between them becomes unstoppable. Now, to save the love of his life, Teddy will do whatever it takes to break the dark magic's hold on Claire.

Will Claire spend her life within the grips of strange delirium, or will love prove the strongest of all?

©2017 Erica McFarland (P)2018 Erica McFarland

Prepare to be enchanted

Prepare to be entertained with this tale that holds all the elements of a classic Gothic tale. Mystery, suspense, magic and of course a curse that seemed not to be broken. But hold on because Lady Claire and Teddy get right in the middle. Claire's mother had died in the insane asylum as had her aunt. She knew it was just a matter of time until she succumbed to the old witches curse. But first she makes a journey to Castle Keyvnor, to hear the reading of a will, and that place was enough to scare anyone. Her dearest friend Teddy is there also, so unexpectedly and she has loved him since she was small.
Teddy is determined to tell Claire his feelings and help her with the curse.
Soon passion takes over and there is no going back although Claire resists. Can they break the curse and be happy?
The narrator, Sandra Elizabeth Cullum was perfect for this story. Her reading was on point and you could feel the emotions in her voice and see a vivid picture of what was happening. I recommend this audible book and know you will love it!! An Erica Monroe book read aloud? Yes, yes it is great!

Love Conquers all

This was a different kind of book. I had a hard time following what was happening in the book. There was some curses and witches in the book that gave a different feel to the story. This book also had sex scene that I wasn't quite expecting. Claire and Teddy had a chemistry that was evident in the book. I felt like the curse shadowed the story. I didn't feel like the story flowed well. If you like supernatural steamy romance then this would be the book for you. The narrator did do a great job of keeping the story moving.

Enjoyable and thought provoking

I loved both Clare and Teddy. Teddy is a beta hero which I absolutely love. He is intelligent, thoughtful and of course head of heels for Clare but of course faint told her. Clare is plagued by a curse of going mad, like her mother and aunt, and of course won’t admit her love for Teddy because she wants to protect him from what she feels is her impending madness. A very sweet friends to lovers romance with some interesting witches and magic to make the story interesting. Definitely worth a listen!