Anita Ojeda 
I receive free electronic advanced reader copies of these books through an arrangement between the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion on NetGalley’s website. I only review books on my blog that I really love.
One gothic romance novel based on another? Yes, please! If you love inspy gothic, you’ll love this one!
A Gothic Romance Novel That Will Thrill AND Inspire You
I love the spine-tingles I get from reading a good gothic romance novel. And if the author manages to inspire me at the same time? Even better! Author Michelle Griep took two classic gothic novels and reimagined the stories as if the original authors had based them on real events. The results, filled with historical details and chilling plot twists, will delight any fans of inspirational gothic romance novels (yes, it’s a thing).
Man of Shadow and Mist
By Michelle Griep, Barbour Fiction, May 31, 2023, 320 pages.
Rosa Edwards embarks on a one-woman crusade to enlighten the townsfolk of her little hamlet, one book at a time. She bases her fight against superstition on facts and has no place in her life for the unexplainable. While she loves working in her father’s subscription library, Rosa can’t stand the constant stream of suitors her mother invites over. Even her older sister ignores Rosa’s desires and wants to see her happily wed.
Rosa has her own plans, and none of them involve a husband. At 26, she longs to leave her overprotective parents and the backward villagers of Whitby, England. When she crashes at the feet of a handsome stranger one evening, she has no idea her life will change dramatically.
Sir James Morgan’s tormented and dying mother brings him to the family home in Whitby, but he has no intention of staying. James feels an instant attraction when a lovely young woman tumbles at his feet upon his arrival in England. James knows he will never experience the joys of falling in love, marrying, and raising a family. He has never questioned his choice and has lived without friends for most of his 32 years.
Miss Rosa Edwards defies his wish to keep himself remote, and the two strike up an unlikely friendship. A friendship tested by the superstitious gossip of the villagers, who claim James is nothing more than a vampire who comes ashore to suck their blood. They have proof, don’t they? Sheep with their throats ripped open, and their bodies left intact. Surely the work of a vampire.
Can love flourish in a town filled with suspicion and hate?
What I Loved About This Book
Griep offers yet another gothic Victorian tale ripped from the pages of literature –this time, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Readers will love how the protagonists struggle to do the right thing—even if it’s not in their best interest. The well-rounded characters bring dramatic tension to the story—especially the interactions between Rosa and her mother and Rosa and the villain. If you enjoyed Griep’s first installment in the Of Monsters and Men series, Lost in Darkness, you won’t want to miss this one!
Jamie Jo Wright and Abigail Wilson fans will love Man of Shadow and Mist.
