On a bitter November evening, young Mary Yellan journeys across the rainswept moors to Jamaica Inn in honor of her mother's dying request. When she arrives, the warning of the coachman begins to echo in her memory, for her aunt Patience cowers before hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn. Terrified of the inn's brooding power, Mary gradually finds herself ensnared in the dark schemes being enacted behind its crumbling walls -- and tempted to love a man she dares not trust.

It's time to choose sides...

On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

A darkly humorous take on Gothic romance, Sarah Rees Brennan's Lynburn Legacy weaves together the tale of a heroine desperate to protect those she loves, two boys hoping to be saved, and the magical forces that will shape their destiny.

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met... a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

True love takes a twisted turn in the second book of this modern gothic romance trilogy channeling the dark brilliance of Edgar Allan Poe.

Varen Nethers is trapped in a perilous dreamworld—a treacherous and desolate realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel Lanley, plagued by strange visions and haunted by the nightmares of Varen's creation, is the only one who can save him.

Isobel knows that her only hope lies within a Baltimore cemetery. There, in the early morning of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, a mysterious stranger known as the "Poe Toaster" will make his annual homage at the legendary poet's grave. Only the Poe Toaster holds the key to the way between worlds.

But great dangers lie ahead for Isobel. An ancient evil, draped in veils of white, is watching, challenging her for Varen's affections. When Isobel finally finds Varen, he is no longer the quiet and brooding boy who once captivated her, but a dark force, powerful and malevolent. Could Isobel's greatest love also be her greatest adversary?

I gasped, or tried to. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t draw breath. His lips, pearly wet, parted and he blew into my mouth. My lungs expanded beneath his weight. When I exhaled he sucked my breath in and his weight turned from cold marble into warm living flesh.

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly sensual dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.

But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart.

As a mortal girl dating a vampire, Raven knows that love isn't always easy. Now that Alexander's parents have returned to Romania, Raven and her dreamy vampire boyfriend are happy to resume their cryptic romance.

But soon another visitor comes knocking: Sebastian, Alexander's best friend, arrives for a stay at the mansion. At first, Raven is wary, then thrilled—this is the perfect chance to learn more about her darkly handsome boyfriend and his past. Raven has been wondering whether Alexander will ever bite her and make their love immortal, and Sebastian could be her guide to the love habits of Alexander and his kind.

But when Sebastian falls for a particular Dullsvillian, will another mortal beat Raven to the bite? With suspense, danger, and a fabulous vampire party, this seventh book in the bestselling Vampire Kisses series continues the exciting nocturnal romance of Raven and Alexander.

Mount Mellyn stood as proud and magnificent as she had envisioned... But what about its master—Connan TreMellyn? Was Martha Leigh's new employer as romantic as his name sounded? As she approached the sprawling mansion towering above the cliffs of Cornwall, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her.

TreMellyn's young daughter, Alvean, proved as spoiled and difficult as the three governesses before Martha had discovered. But it was the girl's father whose cool, arrogant demeanor unleashed unfamiliar sensations and turmoil—even as whispers of past tragedy and present danger begin to insinuate themselves into Martha's life.

Powerless against her growing desire for the enigmatic Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets—as passion overpowers reason, sending her head and heart spinning. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love—and the freedom to find a golden promise forever...

Not far from Dullsville, someone's lurking in the dark...

After meeting the handsome and shadowy Alexander Sterling, goth-girl Raven's dark world has a bright, new glow. But as in her favorite movie, Kissing Coffins, Raven knows that love always has its complications, especially when Alexander has a big secret to guard.

When Alexander suddenly disappears, Raven leaves Dullsville to begin a dangerous search to find him. Can she stay safe, no matter who—or what—she encounters on the way?

For goth-girl Raven, dating her dream boyfriend is complicated, especially because Alexander's secret means that they can see each other only at night.

And now the pair must be extra wary in the dark with Alexander's archrival, Jagger, appearing around town. As if Jagger isn't enough cause for worry, Luna, his strikingly pale sister, has also surfaced and seems to have her sights set on Raven's longtime nemesis, Trevor.

Together, Raven and Alexander must begin a terrifying search for Jagger and Luna's hideout to drive them away—that is, if it's not already too late to save Dullsville from becoming Vampireville.

In the latest installment of her popular Vampire Kisses books, Ellen Schreiber continues the startling story of two teen outsiders—she from the mortal world and he from the Underworld—who share a thrilling, extraordinary romance.

First published in 1944, Dragonwyck is a classic gothic romance that tells the story of an 18-year-old Miranda Wells. She falls under the spell of a mysterious old mansion and its equally fascinating master.

Tired of her mundane life of churning butter and weeding the garden, Miranda is thrilled by an invitation to the upstate New York estate of her distant relative, the intriguing Nicholas Van Ryn. Her passion is ignited by the icy fire of Nicholas, the last of the Van Ryns, and the luxury of Dragonwyck, a way of life she has only dreamed of.

Dressed in satin and lace, Miranda becomes part of Dragonwyck, with its Gothic towers and flowering gardens, acres of tenant farms, and dark, terrible secrets. This compelling novel paints a marvelous portrait of a country torn between freedom and feudal traditions; a country divided between the very wealthy and the very poor.

The poor tenant farmers at Dragonwyck, the European royalty who visit, and American icons such as Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and the Astors are vividly brought to life. This is a heart-stopping story of a remarkable woman, her breathtaking passions, and the mystery and terror that await her in the magnificent hallways of Dragonwyck.

Sleep, Pale Sister is a hypnotically atmospheric story set in nineteenth-century London, crafted by the bestselling author Joanne Harris. This gothic tour-de-force recalls the powerfully dark sensibility of her novel Holy Fools.

When puritanical artist Henry Chester sees the delicate child beauty Effie, he makes her his favorite model and, before long, his bride. But Henry, volatile and repressed, is in love with an ideal. The passive, docile, and asexual woman he projects onto Effie is far from the woman she really is.

As Effie begins to discover the murderous depths of Henry's hypocrisy, her latent passion will rise to the surface. Sleep, Pale Sister combines the ethereal beauty of a Pre-Raphaelite painting with a chilling high gothic tale, showcasing Harris's brimming cornucopia of talents.

La Morte Amoureuse is a terrifying tale by Théophile Gautier, narrated in the first person. It tells the story of a young priest, Romuald, who falls in love with a mysterious woman named Clarimonde. After meeting her, he experiences strange occurrences, and she haunts him in his dreams.

The author brilliantly captures the desires, emotions, and feelings of the priest, weaving a spine-chilling narrative. Romuald finds himself torn between his religious duties and the allure of Clarimonde, leading to a conflict between his spiritual obligations and forbidden passions.

By day, he is a man of the church, but by night, he becomes a Venetian lord, living a life filled with opulence and desire. This dual existence blurs the lines between reality and dreams, leaving Romuald in a constant state of turmoil.

The story is not just a tale of love and obsession but also a commentary on the nature of temptation and the eternal struggle between good and evil.

The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe, elevated the Gothic romance genre to new heights, inspiring countless imitators.

This enthralling tale follows the story of orphan Emily St. Aubert, who is torn from the man she loves and confined within the medieval castle of her aunt's new husband, Montoni.

Inside the castle, she faces an unwanted suitor, Montoni's threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors that threaten to overwhelm her.

The novel is renowned for its portrayal of Emily's inner life, its thick atmosphere of fear, and a gripping plot that continues to thrill readers today.

Radcliffe's use of history, exotic settings, the supernatural, and poetry creates a rich tapestry of suspense and intrigue.

Beauty Meets Beast in San Francisco

Accepting employment as a governess after hard times hit her family, medieval scholar Rosalind Hawkins is surprised when she learns that her mysterious employer has no children, no wife, and she is not to meet with him face to face. Instead, her duties are to read to him, through a speaking tube, from ancient manuscripts in obscure, nearly-forgotten dialects.

A requirement for the job was skill in translating medieval French, and she now understands the reason for that requirement, assuming her unseen employer’s interest in the descriptions of medieval spells and sorcery is that of an eccentric antiquary. What she does not realize is that his interest is anything but academic. He has a terrible secret and is desperately searching for something that can reverse the effects of the misfired spell which created his predicament.

According to ancient Black Forest legend, on the Night of the Seventh Moon, Loke, the God of Mischief, is at large in the world. It is a night for festivity and joyful celebration. It is a night for singing and dancing.

And it is a night for love. Helena Trant was enchanted by everything she found in the Black Forest -- especially its legends.

But then, on the Night of the Seventh Moon, she started to live one of them, and the enchantment turned suddenly into a terrifying nightmare...

Wuthering Heights is a classic tale of intense passion, destructive obsession, and the haunting power of love. Set in the wild, rugged Yorkshire moors, this novel explores the turbulent relationship between the enigmatic Heathcliff and the free-spirited Catherine Earnshaw. Their love defies social conventions and transcends time, leading to a series of dramatic events that leave a lasting impact on both their families.

Through its vivid characters and darkly atmospheric setting, the novel delves into themes of revenge, madness, and the supernatural. Emily Brontë's masterful storytelling captures the raw emotions and complexities of human nature, making Wuthering Heights a timeless masterpiece that continues to captivate readers.

Set against the starkly beautiful landscape of Cornwall, Penmarric is a totally enthralling saga of a family divided against itself. At the center of the novel is the great mansion called Penmarric. It is to Penmarric that Mark Castallack, a proud, strange, and sensitive man, brings his bride Janna—the first act in a tempestuous drama that spans three generations.

This gripping story chronicles the tempestuous clashes between warring sons, wives, and mistresses, and between a house divided against itself. Spanning from the Victorian era to the Second World War, the novel explores themes of conflict, jealousy, infidelity, and betrayal. As Mark and his children struggle to save their home and their aristocratic way of life, they must engage in a bitter fight against greed, ambition, and even murder.

In the Castle of the Last Towers, the things are going really Bad. Invited at a stranger's wedding, in a castle supposed to be haunted by the devil, the fallen noble Arthur de Seragens finds himself trapped in a dangerous net of insanity, betrayal and murder. While the guests are brutally murdered by an inhuman enemy, the hero discovers in terror the target may be his love interest, the beautiful Adrianna de Valois, young daughter of the dark chief of Police. Panicked and desperate, Arthur is forced to make an elusive pact with the most powerful survivors: the viscount of Vincennes, his friend, also a logician and intrigue expert; the beautiful and immoral Italian countess Giulianna Sellini, a supposed poisoner and a necromancer; Huguet de Castlenove, an ex-priest, now a dangerous killer and swordsman manipulated by his mysterious lover; the handsome, cruel and violent master of the land, Duke of Chalais; and many others, including the man who is feared by them all - Albert de Guy, from the Holy Inquisition.

But who is the mysterious assailant? A vampire? A werewolf? A serial killer? A mad incubus? Or... maybe all of them?

Violence, savagery, beauty, love and passion, logic and mystery - an inquiry in the dark.