Blackburn Castle — R.C. Matthews

Curses and witches enliven this gothic romance, the second in Matthews's Tortured Souls saga. Victor Blackburn is living on borrowed time. An ancient curse violently claims the life of each Blackburn male on his twenty-seventh birthday. As his approaches, his only hope of survival is a witch who vanished long ago without a trace. Mercy Seymour eagerly counts down the days until the curse will claim Victor's life. She watched him murder her mother, and only his death will free her of the hatred and anger she harbors. When fate throws them together in Devil's Cove, desire simmers between the handsome pirate and the spirited barkeeper's niece until they learn the truth about each other. Desperate for her cooperation, Victor spirits her away to Blackburn Castle in the Scottish Highlands, where forces of magic and mists from beyond the grave weaken her resolve, opening her eyes to the truth of the past. As Victor and Mercy unearth the fabled stones needed to break the curse, they discover that the only weapon powerful enough to destroy hate is love. But will they have to sacrifice their relationship to save what means the most to them? Sensuality Level: Sensual