Secrets of Castle Negru by K. Lyn Smith: Book Review (ARC)

Details

• Genre: Historical fiction
• Series: No, but connected with Light of a Nile Moon
• Length: 221 pages (EPUB)
• Publication Date: August 18, 2026

Tropes

• Forced proximity
• Second chance at love

My Rating

Book Description

“The children are too quiet. The doctor is too charming. And the handyman is not who he seems.

Transylvania, 1847. The road through the Carpathian mountains had warnings enough— the storm, the broken carriage wheel, the superstitious driver who abandoned them at the washed-out bridge. But with her companion injured and Castle Negru the only shelter for miles, Fiona Foster has no choice but to seek refuge within its walls of black stone.

A widow and nurse of independent means, Fiona expects to stay one night, see to her companion’s injury, and continue on their way. Instead she finds herself stranded at an eerie orphanage where the children move with uncanny precision, speak in identical flat tones, and look at her with eyes too empty for their age. The castle’s physician offers easy reassurances. Fiona is not certain she believes him.

The man she cannot place is Nicholas, the castle’s handyman, too educated for his position, too watchful for a man with nothing to hide, and here for reasons of his own that he keeps as close as the castle’s hidden passages.

The longer she remains, the more she begins to wonder whether the castle’s haunting strangeness is real or imagined or something else altogether. But Castle Negru does not surrender its secrets easily, and if she cannot find the truth before someone decides she knows too much, she may not leave at all.”

— from Goodreads

My Review

With her companion unwell, Fiona’s sole ally in the eerie castle is Nicholas Grayson — a man hiding secrets of his own.

There is an almost immediate sense of unease when Fiona and Glynnis first enter Castle Negru.  And that nagging feeling only grows as Fiona notices more about the place and its inhabitants — no toys allowed, the children speak and act in unison, and must adhere to a strict routine.  

But because the children seem well cared for (no visible injuries, not starving, etc.), it’s easy to believe the Castle is merely an orphanage with a few unconventional practices. 

However, a single line halfway through the story changed everything.   Several details slowly clicked into place, and the conclusions were chilling.

The villain might just be the creepiest one I’ve ever read about.

Nicholas and Fiona’s sweet romance kept the story from becoming too heavy.  I’m so glad they were able to turn Castle Negru into a place of hope and love.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Favorite Moments

🏰 tending Nicholas’ wounds
🏰 Fiona on the roof
🏰 love confession 

Favorite Quotes

“This man who was not who he claimed to be was beginning to feel like her only ally in this strange place.“

K. Lyn Smith

“‘I think sorrow is sorrow, whatever its color.’“

K. Lyn Smith

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