What do you think?
Rate this book
The deWarenne Dynasty #contemporary setting
Isabels Fluch
Als Cassandra de Warenne dem schönen Spanier Antonio de la Barca begegnet, ahnt sie noch nichts von der schrecklichen Vergangenheit, die die beiden Familien seit Jahrhunderten verfemt. Das lang gehütete Geheimnis droht die Adelsfamilien nun beinahe zu zerstören. Dämonische Kräfte in Gestalt der Ahnin Isabel de Warenne scheinen Besitz von Cassandra zu ergreifen, um nun endlich Rache zu nehmen...
450 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Brenda Joyce
111 books1,306 followersBrenda Joyce is the bestselling author of forty-one novels and five novellas. She has won many awards, and her debut novel, Innocent Fire, won a Best Western Romance award. She has also won the highly coveted Best Historical Romance award for Splendor and Two Lifetime Achievement Awards from Romantic Times BOOKreviews. There are over 14 million copies of her novels in print and she is published in over a dozen foreign countries.
A native New Yorker, she now lives in southern Arizona with her son, dogs, and her Arabian and half-Arabian reining horses. Brenda divides her time between her twin passions—writing powerful love stories and competing with her horses at regional and national levels. For more information about Brenda and her upcoming novels, please visit her Web sites: www.brendajoyce.com, www.thedewarennedynasty.com and http://mastersoftimebooks.com.
A native New Yorker, she now lives in southern Arizona with her son, dogs, and her Arabian and half-Arabian reining horses. Brenda divides her time between her twin passions—writing powerful love stories and competing with her horses at regional and national levels. For more information about Brenda and her upcoming novels, please visit her Web sites: www.brendajoyce.com, www.thedewarennedynasty.com and http://mastersoftimebooks.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 1, 2012
Beyond awful!It makes me sad to say this, because the same author wrote one of my favorite books, "The Third Heiress"
"House of Dreams" is poorly written, a 5th rate remake of "The Turn of the Screw" in a modern setting, with the most unappealing sex scenes I've ever read thrown in to make it even worse . Implausible plot twists, subplots left hanging, characters behaving as stupidly as actors in a low-budget splatter film. Cliche after cliche repeated endlessly. Just leaf through this bore-fest and see how many times "Cass's heart stopped." (portable defibrillator, anyone?) I think I stopped counting after ten. Same thing with: "Cass's heart turned over, hard." Please. How many times can a writer, in good conscience, say that the lights inexplicably went off, or beat the reader senseless with repetitive occurrences in which the presence of a ghost is heralded by the scent of VIOLETS?! Characters realize that a person is possessed, then, incredibly, forget about it moments later! It's as if the Keystone Cops wandered into a Gothic novel, only it's not funny. How did this plodding, amateurish book ever find its way into print?
"House of Dreams" is poorly written, a 5th rate remake of "The Turn of the Screw" in a modern setting, with the most unappealing sex scenes I've ever read thrown in to make it even worse . Implausible plot twists, subplots left hanging, characters behaving as stupidly as actors in a low-budget splatter film. Cliche after cliche repeated endlessly. Just leaf through this bore-fest and see how many times "Cass's heart stopped." (portable defibrillator, anyone?) I think I stopped counting after ten. Same thing with: "Cass's heart turned over, hard." Please. How many times can a writer, in good conscience, say that the lights inexplicably went off, or beat the reader senseless with repetitive occurrences in which the presence of a ghost is heralded by the scent of VIOLETS?! Characters realize that a person is possessed, then, incredibly, forget about it moments later! It's as if the Keystone Cops wandered into a Gothic novel, only it's not funny. How did this plodding, amateurish book ever find its way into print?
September 29, 2024
If you dislike long reviews, I suggest that you read no further. Because this rant is going to be an essay.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
To say that this book is god-awful is a vast, VAST understatement. Let me list everything that was wrong with this book.
PRESENT PEOPLE:
1. If the house was without power, why didn't they leave to go and stay in the village until it was rectified?
2. When that ghost stuff started happening, why did they stay?
3. Wouldn't it have made sense for them to call in proper authorities to look for Tracy when she disappeared instead if trampling all over all of the possible evidence that the police could have used to find her?
4. Again; when it was blatantly, obviously, and outright glaringly dangerous for them, why would they stay simply because they want to research Isabel? (aka, stupid bish). The only people who weren't dumb as dirt were the kids and poor aunt Catherine.
PAST PEOPLE:
Isabel's full name should be 'Isabel de Moron de la Baka'. Because she is easily one of the stupidest female characters I've ever read in a book. And seeing as how I've read over 700 books, that's saying something. Everything that happened to her is completely her fault.
1. If you didn't hear from your 'love' for over a year, why didn't you send word to see what happened to him?
2. So, brainless peon, you realized at your FRIGGIN WEDDING RECEPTION that you shouldn't have married another guy out of spite when you found out your spineless prick of a 'fiance' (and I use that term as loosely as a pair of granny panties) married someone else while he was away from you as a soldier? How bloody hard was it to send a letter in secret to find out if he was alive or something?
3. Why. Why. OH WHY. Would you have an affair with above mentioned spineless prick after you were married to man who treated you with nothing but kindness and respect? And why would you embarrass him in the front of everyone by being so indiscreet with your affair?
4. BAM. Pregnant. Went away to have baby and baby has blue eyes and blonde hair. Spineless prick has blue eyes and blonde hair. Kind husband has dark hair and dark eyes. Dumb-bel has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. The maid said, "Pass the baby off as your husband's. You can say the blonde hair takes after your mother and he got your blue eyes." But what did she do? SHE RAN AWAY AND LEFT HER HUSBAND (WHICH WAS A NO-NO BACK THEN) because she was afraid of what he would do when he saw the baby.
4.5. Dumb-bel falls into a depression after she finds out that spineless prick was having an affair on THEIR affair with another woman.
5. Now, husband is salty as frig after he finds out about her affair, so he has her locked up on charges of heresy. As she's in court, she admits to having an affair and she's supposed to convert. She stands up in the front of everyone and does not convert because she wants to worship God as she has been doing.
Like... what the actual hell is this shyte I'm reading? You mean worship him as the slack, unfaithful, lying whore you've been? Just convert openly, and when you get in your secret corner, whisper your prayers to god. He sees what comes from your heart, not your lips.
6. Only when she's being tied to a stake does it occur to her that her bravado wasn't the smartest thing. Then she curses her husband and her uncle (He told her to marry her husband and spy for him. But after she was married she could have done whatever she wanted because her husband is a powerful man) right before she got burned at the stake.
Ladies and fricken gentlemen, I am still waiting for this "grave injustice" that was supposed to have been done to Isabel. Literally EVERYTHING that happened to Isabel was her fault and could have been avoided had she just used her bloody friggin pea-sized brain before jumping head first into stupidness.
OVERALL STUPID:
Why did Isabel just... leave???? Why did her ghost just all of a sudden run out of steam and leave everyone alone? It was so abrupt I got whiplash. I'm going to donate this book to my local library with a complimentary letter of warning in the flap: 'CAUTION, I SAY! Extremely stupid characters ahead. Read at your own risk, bruh.'
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
To say that this book is god-awful is a vast, VAST understatement. Let me list everything that was wrong with this book.
PRESENT PEOPLE:
1. If the house was without power, why didn't they leave to go and stay in the village until it was rectified?
2. When that ghost stuff started happening, why did they stay?
3. Wouldn't it have made sense for them to call in proper authorities to look for Tracy when she disappeared instead if trampling all over all of the possible evidence that the police could have used to find her?
4. Again; when it was blatantly, obviously, and outright glaringly dangerous for them, why would they stay simply because they want to research Isabel? (aka, stupid bish). The only people who weren't dumb as dirt were the kids and poor aunt Catherine.
PAST PEOPLE:
Isabel's full name should be 'Isabel de Moron de la Baka'. Because she is easily one of the stupidest female characters I've ever read in a book. And seeing as how I've read over 700 books, that's saying something. Everything that happened to her is completely her fault.
1. If you didn't hear from your 'love' for over a year, why didn't you send word to see what happened to him?
2. So, brainless peon, you realized at your FRIGGIN WEDDING RECEPTION that you shouldn't have married another guy out of spite when you found out your spineless prick of a 'fiance' (and I use that term as loosely as a pair of granny panties) married someone else while he was away from you as a soldier? How bloody hard was it to send a letter in secret to find out if he was alive or something?
3. Why. Why. OH WHY. Would you have an affair with above mentioned spineless prick after you were married to man who treated you with nothing but kindness and respect? And why would you embarrass him in the front of everyone by being so indiscreet with your affair?
4. BAM. Pregnant. Went away to have baby and baby has blue eyes and blonde hair. Spineless prick has blue eyes and blonde hair. Kind husband has dark hair and dark eyes. Dumb-bel has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. The maid said, "Pass the baby off as your husband's. You can say the blonde hair takes after your mother and he got your blue eyes." But what did she do? SHE RAN AWAY AND LEFT HER HUSBAND (WHICH WAS A NO-NO BACK THEN) because she was afraid of what he would do when he saw the baby.
4.5. Dumb-bel falls into a depression after she finds out that spineless prick was having an affair on THEIR affair with another woman.
5. Now, husband is salty as frig after he finds out about her affair, so he has her locked up on charges of heresy. As she's in court, she admits to having an affair and she's supposed to convert. She stands up in the front of everyone and does not convert because she wants to worship God as she has been doing.
Like... what the actual hell is this shyte I'm reading? You mean worship him as the slack, unfaithful, lying whore you've been? Just convert openly, and when you get in your secret corner, whisper your prayers to god. He sees what comes from your heart, not your lips.
6. Only when she's being tied to a stake does it occur to her that her bravado wasn't the smartest thing. Then she curses her husband and her uncle (He told her to marry her husband and spy for him. But after she was married she could have done whatever she wanted because her husband is a powerful man) right before she got burned at the stake.
Ladies and fricken gentlemen, I am still waiting for this "grave injustice" that was supposed to have been done to Isabel. Literally EVERYTHING that happened to Isabel was her fault and could have been avoided had she just used her bloody friggin pea-sized brain before jumping head first into stupidness.
OVERALL STUPID:
Why did Isabel just... leave???? Why did her ghost just all of a sudden run out of steam and leave everyone alone? It was so abrupt I got whiplash. I'm going to donate this book to my local library with a complimentary letter of warning in the flap: 'CAUTION, I SAY! Extremely stupid characters ahead. Read at your own risk, bruh.'
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2008
I had never read a Brenda Joyce book before picking up her "Deadly..." series written as BD Joyce. I Am finding them wonderful, engrossing and fun reads. I can't wait until the next one. So in the meantime, I decided to try out some of her other books. Unfortunately, this is the fist one I picked up.
I am glad that this book isn't the first book that I read by this author because I am sure I would not have picked up the "Deadly..." series and would have missed out on a good thing.
I didn't like this book in the least. First of all, it made no sense. Isabel, the ghost, had such power that she was able to manipulate events for over 400 years so that she managed to keep these two families entwined so that she could use them against each other to wreak her vengeance. But if she had that much power what was taking her so long to destroy these people? And then there was Cass, Antonio, Gregory and Catherine Why the heck were they so stupid? These people all knew a ghost was manipulating them, and yet they continued to hang out in the house. And whenever anybody went missing they always split up to go searching and they'd leave the kids behind. I'm sorry but if I am stuck in the middle of nowhere and I know that a malevolent ghost is running around, I am not gonna go exploring a house alone and I am not gonna leave my 8 year old niece and 10 year old son by themselves either. At least poor Tracey had no idea what was going on, so that part at least made sense. I think the book would have been much more suspenseful if everyone else had been like Tracey, truly at a loss as to what was happening and why.
And then there was the writing. It was repetitive and I felt as if the story were going in circles. Rather than creating a claustrophobic atmosphere of menace, all it did for me was create an air of tedium.
And finally, the ending stunk. After all that ghostly menace, everything ended with a wimper. I also feel that Isabel was, wrongly, made out to be some innocent little victim. She wasn't. She was as culpable in her own downfall as the people who "betrayed" her.
I am disappointed that this book was so unenjoyable because I think there was a really good book somewhere in there begging to get out.
I am glad that this book isn't the first book that I read by this author because I am sure I would not have picked up the "Deadly..." series and would have missed out on a good thing.
I didn't like this book in the least. First of all, it made no sense. Isabel, the ghost, had such power that she was able to manipulate events for over 400 years so that she managed to keep these two families entwined so that she could use them against each other to wreak her vengeance. But if she had that much power what was taking her so long to destroy these people? And then there was Cass, Antonio, Gregory and Catherine Why the heck were they so stupid? These people all knew a ghost was manipulating them, and yet they continued to hang out in the house. And whenever anybody went missing they always split up to go searching and they'd leave the kids behind. I'm sorry but if I am stuck in the middle of nowhere and I know that a malevolent ghost is running around, I am not gonna go exploring a house alone and I am not gonna leave my 8 year old niece and 10 year old son by themselves either. At least poor Tracey had no idea what was going on, so that part at least made sense. I think the book would have been much more suspenseful if everyone else had been like Tracey, truly at a loss as to what was happening and why.
And then there was the writing. It was repetitive and I felt as if the story were going in circles. Rather than creating a claustrophobic atmosphere of menace, all it did for me was create an air of tedium.
And finally, the ending stunk. After all that ghostly menace, everything ended with a wimper. I also feel that Isabel was, wrongly, made out to be some innocent little victim. She wasn't. She was as culpable in her own downfall as the people who "betrayed" her.
I am disappointed that this book was so unenjoyable because I think there was a really good book somewhere in there begging to get out.
December 27, 2020
Isabel De La Barca burada yatmaktadır.
Doğum 1535 ölüm 1555
Sussex Kontu John De Warenne'nin yeğeni Pedraza kontunun karısı.
Tanrıtanımaz ve İffetsiz bir kadın.
Tanrı ruhunu affetsin
Huzur içinde yatsın.
Herşey in başlangıcı işte bu mezar.. Çok farklı bir Brenda okuyacaksınız.
Doğum 1535 ölüm 1555
Sussex Kontu John De Warenne'nin yeğeni Pedraza kontunun karısı.
Tanrıtanımaz ve İffetsiz bir kadın.
Tanrı ruhunu affetsin
Huzur içinde yatsın.
Herşey in başlangıcı işte bu mezar.. Çok farklı bir Brenda okuyacaksınız.
July 1, 2017
Somehow the ghost of Isobel , dead since the 1500's, has been creating havoc in the lives of
two families, one English and one Spanish. There seems to be no history of any problems in the past 500 years , but now she's out for revenge and has super powers. She can possess someone and make them murder their loved ones. She can asphyxiate you with the scent of violets. She can use a laptop to send messages . She can disable lights and phones, cause spontaneous combustion while locking all the doors and windows. And finally she can compel people to have wild and crazy sex.
And although her motive is revenge because she was betrayed, she's the one who carried on an affair even after she was married.
I don't know when or why so many romance writers decided they had to throw in these Penthouse
type sex scenes into their novels. Most of them , including the ones in this book, are about as
erotic as watching two dogs humping in the street.
The characters in this story tend to be annoying. Cass is irate with Antonio's brother, Gregory, for leaving the children alone with the servants, but then she does the same thing when she runs off to help Antonio search for a clue regarding his late wife. The main characters tend to sustain
terrible live threatening injuries , but all survive for the happy ending.
two families, one English and one Spanish. There seems to be no history of any problems in the past 500 years , but now she's out for revenge and has super powers. She can possess someone and make them murder their loved ones. She can asphyxiate you with the scent of violets. She can use a laptop to send messages . She can disable lights and phones, cause spontaneous combustion while locking all the doors and windows. And finally she can compel people to have wild and crazy sex.
And although her motive is revenge because she was betrayed, she's the one who carried on an affair even after she was married.
I don't know when or why so many romance writers decided they had to throw in these Penthouse
type sex scenes into their novels. Most of them , including the ones in this book, are about as
erotic as watching two dogs humping in the street.
The characters in this story tend to be annoying. Cass is irate with Antonio's brother, Gregory, for leaving the children alone with the servants, but then she does the same thing when she runs off to help Antonio search for a clue regarding his late wife. The main characters tend to sustain
terrible live threatening injuries , but all survive for the happy ending.
November 9, 2009
3.5 Stars..I graded on the curve because the last quarter of the book was amazing.
Oh my goodness. Whew...that was intense!
I have a habit of not reading the descriptions of books before I read them so this one caught me completely off guard.
I don't want to say a word about it because inevitably it would be a spoiler alert! lol
To all my goodreads.com friends this is a must read! I know my markings weren't very high, but this is a story I will never forget.
*Reasons for the 3.5
I found parts of the book annoyingly repetitive and the characters made me mad because of some acceptance issues...lol (If you've read this you know what I'm talking about.)
*Reason for the grading curve
I was crying and scared through the last part of the book and the story will forever be etched in my mind!
Oh my goodness. Whew...that was intense!
I have a habit of not reading the descriptions of books before I read them so this one caught me completely off guard.
I don't want to say a word about it because inevitably it would be a spoiler alert! lol
To all my goodreads.com friends this is a must read! I know my markings weren't very high, but this is a story I will never forget.
*Reasons for the 3.5
I found parts of the book annoyingly repetitive and the characters made me mad because of some acceptance issues...lol (If you've read this you know what I'm talking about.)
*Reason for the grading curve
I was crying and scared through the last part of the book and the story will forever be etched in my mind!
June 28, 2011
HATED IT!
Read
August 16, 2015Cassandra de Warenne lived with her aunt Catherine at Belford House, East Sussex, England. She was an author and her and her sister Tracey had been raised by her aunt after the death of their parents. Tracey had been married, had a daughter, Alyssa, and was divorced. Tracey had no real interest in Alyssa and left her to be raised by Cass.
Tracey had contacted her aunt and asked to display a necklace that she was trying to sell for the auction house where she was employed, Sotheby's in London. Cass was hoping Tracey would show up early for the event so she could spend some time with her daughter. Cass went outside to escape the questions from Alyssa as to why her mother had not shown up yet when she noticed someone in the gardens. It turned out to be Antonio de la Barca. She knew of him from listening to him lecture seven years previously. She was immediately attracted to him. It started raining so they both went inside. Tracey showed up with gifts that were not received as enthusiastically as she had hoped. She noticed Antonio and Cass could tell immediately that they were lovers. Tracey was indeed in love with Antonio but felt he was retreating from her and was doing whatever she could to hold onto him. She was very beautiful and was using it to her advantage. She told both Cass and her aunt that she was going to marry him.
Antonio was not thrilled when he found out that she had a sister and she had never been mentioned. He also doted on his own son and was upset when he found out that she was not raising her daughter. Tracey lied and told him that she did have Alyssa most of the time and they were preparing to take a vacation together and they had every summer.
They had the necklace showing and their Aunt Catherine recognized Antonio and told Cass privately that her nieces needed to stay away from Antonio because bad things would happen. She said that she had killed his father. Antonio recognized the necklace as one that he had seen in a picture that he had hanging in his home of a distant relative, Isabel. It seemed that long ago, Isabel de Warenne was briefly married to one of the de la Barca men. She was burned to death as a witch. It soon became apparent that Catherine had a real problem with Antonio and believed something tragic was going to happen should her nieces become involved with a member of this family.
Tracey left after the party and as she was packing to leave, Catherine told her that she would disown her should she choose to pursue a relationship with Antonio. Tracey told Catherine that she was going to marry him. She also told them she was going to Madrid and taking Alyssa with her. This upset Cass greatly. Alyssa told Cass to ask Tracey if she could come with them and the two sisters ended up fighting and Cass slapped Tracey because of all the mean things she said to Cass about her being jealous and not having a life. She told Cass her attorney would be contacting her regarding Alyssa and she was taking her away. Tracey sent someone to pick up Alyssa the next day and they headed to Madrid. Alyssa was not happy to be their with her mother and even more upset when she found out that her mother had not told Antonio they were coming and he wasn't there to meet them. He was at his summer home with his son.
Catherine was sick and Cass had to call an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Tracey called and asked Cass to come meet them in Spain to drive them to Antonio's summer home. Tracey wasn't getting along with Alyssa and had no patience for her. She also hated to drive. Cass agreed to come and went to see her aunt in the hospital and told her that she was going to Spain to make sure that Alyssa returned back to England in time for school in the fall. Catherine warned her not to go.
Tracey, Alyssa, and Cass all arrived at Antonio's summer home. It quickly became obvious that he was not expecting them and Cass and Alyssa were embarrassed and apologized. Antonio and Cass began working together to uncover the mystery of Isabel's death as it was her who was the link to both families. Tracey went along when the were going through the cemetery and it soon became clear that she was bored. Antonio was also paying more attention to Cass and Tracey didn't like it. Strange things began happening at the house. Tracey and Antonio broke up and Tracey attacked Cass. Cass began to have strong feelings of hatred and jealousy toward Tracey. Alyssa wanted to go home and Cass thought she saw Isabel's face in Alyssa's. Antonio almost made love to Cass and thought he saw his missing wife's face in the window outside. She had gone missing from the house eight years previous and no one had a clue what had happened to her. The lights went out in the house and Cass's computer went not only out but to a static screen. Messages soon began appearing on her computer screen. Antonio's brother, Gregory showed up and said he was summoned. Alyssa made a comment about them all be summoned and they all would be together soon.
Antonio and Cass felt as if the house was being haunted by Isabel and began working in earnest to find out what really happened to her. Catherine arrived and went into Isabel's room. The room became overwhelmed with the smell of lilacs. Catherine started coughing and couldn't breathe. She soon suffocated and died.
Gregory had felt Isabel's presence since he was a small boy. Gregory had sex with Tracey but he smelled lilacs and when he looked at her he saw the woman who had haunted him as a child. Tracey disappeared the next morning and know one knew where she was for a couple of days. They had searched and found no sign of her but Cass had found and electrician who they had called to come check out the loss of electricity in their house, murdered with a knife from their house in his heart. The next day, Tracey showed up with cuts and blood all over her, in Gregory's car. All of the cars had their tires slashed.
The children were playing in the den the night before Tracey was found and they saw a woman in the window. Alyssa thought it was her mother and ran outside, Eduardo, Antonio's son, followed her as well as Celia, Catherine's companion. They found the children but not Celia. She showed up after Tracey came back and told them that she had fallen into a ravine and woke up next to a skeleton. Antonio and Cass went out looking for the skeleton to see if it was Antonio's missing wife, it was. They returned to the house to find that the children were missing.
Tracey had come into the library where the kids were eating dinner and demanded that Alyssa come with her. She refused and Tracey dragged Alyssa away and threw her into a room below the house. Tracey had shoved Antonio's driver and he hit his head on the fireplace. Celia was tending to him when Cass and Antonio came back to the house. Eduardo had again followed Alyssa and he jumped into the room as Tracey shut the door so that Alyssa wouldn't be alone. Antonio and Cass couldn't find them anywhere. Cass did find Tracey in the chapel praying, which is not something Tracey would do. She sensed that Tracey was not herself and asked her where the children were. She told Cass that they were safe.
Gregory was going to go to town and tell the police that the electrician was murdered when they discovered all the cars had their tires slashed. Gregory had to walk. On the way there, he saw a boy riding a bike and paid him for the bike so he could get to town faster. He was run down by a woman driving a truck and left for dead. Gregory was not dead though. He woke up after what he thought was a couple of hours and since he was closer to home, he rode the bike back to the summer house, which was translated as The House of Dreams.
Antonio and Cass discovered that Isabel was the niece of the Earl of Sussex. Her family had all died of the measles except for her. She didn't catch the sickness. Her uncle claimed her father's position as the Earl. Isabel was married to one of Antonio's relatives but she had a lover back home in England. She had met him when her uncle came to see her when she was about 15. He was kind to her and was the first person to show her any attention after her family had died. Robert had asked her uncle for permission to marry Isabel and he was denied. He wrote to her often for a year or so and then slowly stopped. He had gotten married and it was five years before they saw each other again. He was now an Admiral in the Queen Mary's army. Her uncle was trying to arrange a marriage for Isabel but she was still in love with Robert. Isabel agreed to be married after Robert told her that he had married. They continued to see each other even though they were both married to another.
One of the men who had been sent by her uncle to meet her in hopes of arranging a marriage, came to Isabel and told her that everyone in court knew about her affair with the Admiral and she needed to be careful. If she ever needed him, he would not turn her away. He told her that she was too good for someone like him. Isabel was also asked to spy on her husband by her uncle. Isabel became pregnant and wasn't sure who was the father of her child. Her husband sent her to his home in Spain for the child to be born there. Isabel was unhappy and still wrote to Rob expressing her unhappiness. She returned to England after having her son, Phillip, with the intention of running away with Rob whose wife had died. She went to Lord Montgomery for help and he told her that Rob had taken another mistress. Isabel must return home to her husband and lie to him about the child and convince him that the child was his. She went home to discover that her husband had intercepted her letters both to and from Robert. He hit Isabel and broke both her jaw and some ribs. She sent her mistress, Helen, to Lord Montgomery for help. When Helen left, Isabel was arrested for crimes against God. She was taken to The Tower to await her death. She was brought to court and confessed to falling in love with the wrong man. She confessed to spying for her uncle. She never confessed to worshiping God incorrectly and she was put to death by being burned on a stake. Her uncle was there to see her die along with Robert and Douglas trying to stop her from being burned to death. Douglas was shot through with at least three arrows. She did not see him die.
Tracey came into the room where they were trying to take care of Gregory's wounds from the truck trying to run him down. Cass yelled at her and asked her what it would take to get her peace. Her computer screen read Peace is Death. Antonio attacked Tracey and Gregory tried to attack her also. She stepped aside as Gregory ran at her and he ran through a glass door. Tracey grabbed a glass shard and stabbed Antonio in the back. Cass pulled the glass out and put pressure on the wound with a t-shirt and bound it up. She went to find Tracey, as Isabel, and found her in her bedroom. She locked Cass in and then closed and locked all the windows. She set the room on fire but Cass quickly put out the flames. She threw something at the window and climbed out. She found Gregory and Antonio and thought they were dead. Tracey had gone back downstairs and stabbed Gregory in the back. Antonio had tried to stop her and he wasn't strong enough to fight her. Cassandra then heard the children. Tracey had told them that they were safe now and they could come out. The children saw Cass and ran to her. Tracey still had the knife that she had stabbed both Antonio and Gregory with. Cass tried calling to Tracey and asking her to fight Isabel's control over her mind. She raised the knife and Antonio shot her in the arm. Tracey wasn't strong enough to fight Isabel but she tried and passed out. Isabel then tried to take control of Cassandra but Cass fought her and soon she also passed out. She felt Isabel leave her. Antonio left to get help. He soon came back with ambulances and the police. A policeman gave Cass her computer and the message said that she wanted to go home.
Tracey was put in a mental hospital and the rest were all treated for their injuries. Antonio and Cassandra saw that Isabel's remains were moved and she was buried in England. Antonio and Cassandra remained together. Isabel's anger had burned out and what she wanted was to be buried in England. Her remains were buried close to her lover and her son at the burial site for Romney Castle.
Tracey had contacted her aunt and asked to display a necklace that she was trying to sell for the auction house where she was employed, Sotheby's in London. Cass was hoping Tracey would show up early for the event so she could spend some time with her daughter. Cass went outside to escape the questions from Alyssa as to why her mother had not shown up yet when she noticed someone in the gardens. It turned out to be Antonio de la Barca. She knew of him from listening to him lecture seven years previously. She was immediately attracted to him. It started raining so they both went inside. Tracey showed up with gifts that were not received as enthusiastically as she had hoped. She noticed Antonio and Cass could tell immediately that they were lovers. Tracey was indeed in love with Antonio but felt he was retreating from her and was doing whatever she could to hold onto him. She was very beautiful and was using it to her advantage. She told both Cass and her aunt that she was going to marry him.
Antonio was not thrilled when he found out that she had a sister and she had never been mentioned. He also doted on his own son and was upset when he found out that she was not raising her daughter. Tracey lied and told him that she did have Alyssa most of the time and they were preparing to take a vacation together and they had every summer.
They had the necklace showing and their Aunt Catherine recognized Antonio and told Cass privately that her nieces needed to stay away from Antonio because bad things would happen. She said that she had killed his father. Antonio recognized the necklace as one that he had seen in a picture that he had hanging in his home of a distant relative, Isabel. It seemed that long ago, Isabel de Warenne was briefly married to one of the de la Barca men. She was burned to death as a witch. It soon became apparent that Catherine had a real problem with Antonio and believed something tragic was going to happen should her nieces become involved with a member of this family.
Tracey left after the party and as she was packing to leave, Catherine told her that she would disown her should she choose to pursue a relationship with Antonio. Tracey told Catherine that she was going to marry him. She also told them she was going to Madrid and taking Alyssa with her. This upset Cass greatly. Alyssa told Cass to ask Tracey if she could come with them and the two sisters ended up fighting and Cass slapped Tracey because of all the mean things she said to Cass about her being jealous and not having a life. She told Cass her attorney would be contacting her regarding Alyssa and she was taking her away. Tracey sent someone to pick up Alyssa the next day and they headed to Madrid. Alyssa was not happy to be their with her mother and even more upset when she found out that her mother had not told Antonio they were coming and he wasn't there to meet them. He was at his summer home with his son.
Catherine was sick and Cass had to call an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Tracey called and asked Cass to come meet them in Spain to drive them to Antonio's summer home. Tracey wasn't getting along with Alyssa and had no patience for her. She also hated to drive. Cass agreed to come and went to see her aunt in the hospital and told her that she was going to Spain to make sure that Alyssa returned back to England in time for school in the fall. Catherine warned her not to go.
Tracey, Alyssa, and Cass all arrived at Antonio's summer home. It quickly became obvious that he was not expecting them and Cass and Alyssa were embarrassed and apologized. Antonio and Cass began working together to uncover the mystery of Isabel's death as it was her who was the link to both families. Tracey went along when the were going through the cemetery and it soon became clear that she was bored. Antonio was also paying more attention to Cass and Tracey didn't like it. Strange things began happening at the house. Tracey and Antonio broke up and Tracey attacked Cass. Cass began to have strong feelings of hatred and jealousy toward Tracey. Alyssa wanted to go home and Cass thought she saw Isabel's face in Alyssa's. Antonio almost made love to Cass and thought he saw his missing wife's face in the window outside. She had gone missing from the house eight years previous and no one had a clue what had happened to her. The lights went out in the house and Cass's computer went not only out but to a static screen. Messages soon began appearing on her computer screen. Antonio's brother, Gregory showed up and said he was summoned. Alyssa made a comment about them all be summoned and they all would be together soon.
Antonio and Cass felt as if the house was being haunted by Isabel and began working in earnest to find out what really happened to her. Catherine arrived and went into Isabel's room. The room became overwhelmed with the smell of lilacs. Catherine started coughing and couldn't breathe. She soon suffocated and died.
Gregory had felt Isabel's presence since he was a small boy. Gregory had sex with Tracey but he smelled lilacs and when he looked at her he saw the woman who had haunted him as a child. Tracey disappeared the next morning and know one knew where she was for a couple of days. They had searched and found no sign of her but Cass had found and electrician who they had called to come check out the loss of electricity in their house, murdered with a knife from their house in his heart. The next day, Tracey showed up with cuts and blood all over her, in Gregory's car. All of the cars had their tires slashed.
The children were playing in the den the night before Tracey was found and they saw a woman in the window. Alyssa thought it was her mother and ran outside, Eduardo, Antonio's son, followed her as well as Celia, Catherine's companion. They found the children but not Celia. She showed up after Tracey came back and told them that she had fallen into a ravine and woke up next to a skeleton. Antonio and Cass went out looking for the skeleton to see if it was Antonio's missing wife, it was. They returned to the house to find that the children were missing.
Tracey had come into the library where the kids were eating dinner and demanded that Alyssa come with her. She refused and Tracey dragged Alyssa away and threw her into a room below the house. Tracey had shoved Antonio's driver and he hit his head on the fireplace. Celia was tending to him when Cass and Antonio came back to the house. Eduardo had again followed Alyssa and he jumped into the room as Tracey shut the door so that Alyssa wouldn't be alone. Antonio and Cass couldn't find them anywhere. Cass did find Tracey in the chapel praying, which is not something Tracey would do. She sensed that Tracey was not herself and asked her where the children were. She told Cass that they were safe.
Gregory was going to go to town and tell the police that the electrician was murdered when they discovered all the cars had their tires slashed. Gregory had to walk. On the way there, he saw a boy riding a bike and paid him for the bike so he could get to town faster. He was run down by a woman driving a truck and left for dead. Gregory was not dead though. He woke up after what he thought was a couple of hours and since he was closer to home, he rode the bike back to the summer house, which was translated as The House of Dreams.
Antonio and Cass discovered that Isabel was the niece of the Earl of Sussex. Her family had all died of the measles except for her. She didn't catch the sickness. Her uncle claimed her father's position as the Earl. Isabel was married to one of Antonio's relatives but she had a lover back home in England. She had met him when her uncle came to see her when she was about 15. He was kind to her and was the first person to show her any attention after her family had died. Robert had asked her uncle for permission to marry Isabel and he was denied. He wrote to her often for a year or so and then slowly stopped. He had gotten married and it was five years before they saw each other again. He was now an Admiral in the Queen Mary's army. Her uncle was trying to arrange a marriage for Isabel but she was still in love with Robert. Isabel agreed to be married after Robert told her that he had married. They continued to see each other even though they were both married to another.
One of the men who had been sent by her uncle to meet her in hopes of arranging a marriage, came to Isabel and told her that everyone in court knew about her affair with the Admiral and she needed to be careful. If she ever needed him, he would not turn her away. He told her that she was too good for someone like him. Isabel was also asked to spy on her husband by her uncle. Isabel became pregnant and wasn't sure who was the father of her child. Her husband sent her to his home in Spain for the child to be born there. Isabel was unhappy and still wrote to Rob expressing her unhappiness. She returned to England after having her son, Phillip, with the intention of running away with Rob whose wife had died. She went to Lord Montgomery for help and he told her that Rob had taken another mistress. Isabel must return home to her husband and lie to him about the child and convince him that the child was his. She went home to discover that her husband had intercepted her letters both to and from Robert. He hit Isabel and broke both her jaw and some ribs. She sent her mistress, Helen, to Lord Montgomery for help. When Helen left, Isabel was arrested for crimes against God. She was taken to The Tower to await her death. She was brought to court and confessed to falling in love with the wrong man. She confessed to spying for her uncle. She never confessed to worshiping God incorrectly and she was put to death by being burned on a stake. Her uncle was there to see her die along with Robert and Douglas trying to stop her from being burned to death. Douglas was shot through with at least three arrows. She did not see him die.
Tracey came into the room where they were trying to take care of Gregory's wounds from the truck trying to run him down. Cass yelled at her and asked her what it would take to get her peace. Her computer screen read Peace is Death. Antonio attacked Tracey and Gregory tried to attack her also. She stepped aside as Gregory ran at her and he ran through a glass door. Tracey grabbed a glass shard and stabbed Antonio in the back. Cass pulled the glass out and put pressure on the wound with a t-shirt and bound it up. She went to find Tracey, as Isabel, and found her in her bedroom. She locked Cass in and then closed and locked all the windows. She set the room on fire but Cass quickly put out the flames. She threw something at the window and climbed out. She found Gregory and Antonio and thought they were dead. Tracey had gone back downstairs and stabbed Gregory in the back. Antonio had tried to stop her and he wasn't strong enough to fight her. Cassandra then heard the children. Tracey had told them that they were safe now and they could come out. The children saw Cass and ran to her. Tracey still had the knife that she had stabbed both Antonio and Gregory with. Cass tried calling to Tracey and asking her to fight Isabel's control over her mind. She raised the knife and Antonio shot her in the arm. Tracey wasn't strong enough to fight Isabel but she tried and passed out. Isabel then tried to take control of Cassandra but Cass fought her and soon she also passed out. She felt Isabel leave her. Antonio left to get help. He soon came back with ambulances and the police. A policeman gave Cass her computer and the message said that she wanted to go home.
Tracey was put in a mental hospital and the rest were all treated for their injuries. Antonio and Cassandra saw that Isabel's remains were moved and she was buried in England. Antonio and Cassandra remained together. Isabel's anger had burned out and what she wanted was to be buried in England. Her remains were buried close to her lover and her son at the burial site for Romney Castle.
April 30, 2019
The extra star is for the lolz. Otherwise, this was a complete train wreck of a book. I feel like the author got overambitious and tried to cram in too many genres at once, and what resulted was something that resembled a slasher-esque "horror" flick (complete with the stereotypical cast) sprinkled with nonexistent, cringey romance and an extra heavy dose of melodrama. The only thing missing from this B-rated travesty is the cult status. The characters were dumb, the plot (which sounded promising in the beginning) became increasingly stupid and illogical, and the only ones I cared for were the poor children who always got left behind to fend for themselves because the stupid adults insisted on running around the property looking for "clues" and so on, when the most logical thing to do would have been to leave the freaking property!!! (and alert the police).
October 29, 2025
Yahu bu nasıl bir kitap,korku hikayesi mi, aşk hikayesi mi ben anlamadım. Anlamsızca sürekli hengame vardı kitapta. Herkes çığlık çığlığa kaçıyor. Sinirlerimi bozdu bu kitap benim!
Beni tanıyanlar Brenda Joyce'u ne kadar çok sevdiğimi iyi bilirler. Türkiye de yayımlanan bütün serisini okudum. Allah aşkına lütfen bana biriniz bunu Brenda yazmadı diyin. hani şu ayıla bayıla okuduğumuz the de warrene serisinin yazarı?
aşırı gereksiz bir kitap olmuş.
Brenda tatlım sen Historical romance yaz, contemporary senin neyine? Ya da gözünü seveyim hayalet hikayesi yazma.
İyi ki yayımlandığı dönem alıp okumadım o dönem zira çok pahalıydı. Geçenlerde kelepir fiyata bulunca alayım dedim iyi ki de öyle yapmışım üzülürdüm yoksa.
Ne diyelim, ısrarla okumak isteyen varsa buyursun.
bu puanı da yazarın önceki kitaplarını çok sevdiğim için veriyorum.
Beni tanıyanlar Brenda Joyce'u ne kadar çok sevdiğimi iyi bilirler. Türkiye de yayımlanan bütün serisini okudum. Allah aşkına lütfen bana biriniz bunu Brenda yazmadı diyin. hani şu ayıla bayıla okuduğumuz the de warrene serisinin yazarı?
aşırı gereksiz bir kitap olmuş.
Brenda tatlım sen Historical romance yaz, contemporary senin neyine? Ya da gözünü seveyim hayalet hikayesi yazma.
İyi ki yayımlandığı dönem alıp okumadım o dönem zira çok pahalıydı. Geçenlerde kelepir fiyata bulunca alayım dedim iyi ki de öyle yapmışım üzülürdüm yoksa.
Ne diyelim, ısrarla okumak isteyen varsa buyursun.
bu puanı da yazarın önceki kitaplarını çok sevdiğim için veriyorum.
June 7, 2018
I am so horrified to see not a lot of people have read House of Dreams. I just hope most just didn't find time to review or rate it just like me. I read this one probably 5-6 years ago. I dont really remember everything but I do recall became extremely scared and intrigued by all that's happening in the book. I remember thinking how mysterious and compelling Joyce's writing was. I've always thought she was more into the mystery genre than romance (but I loved Promise of the Rose so I dont know anymore). I'm definitely going to reread House of Dreams to give a better review.
November 12, 2017
Als ich das Buch anfing zu lesen empfand ich als sehr spannend. Dieses hielt auch an bis zu dem Teil als es auf einmal hieß das ein Geist besitz von Personen einnehmen kann. Ab diesem Punkt verflog bei mir die Spannung des Buches und es zog es sich sehhhhhhr hin. Muss sagen das kann Brenda Joyce deutlich besser, aber das war nichts würde ich auch nicht so empfehlen zu kaufen.
April 3, 2025
As much as I have loved all of Brenda Joyce that I have read so far, this one did not live up to what I expected from her. Which makes me sad!
This was a confusing read to me. I am not used to reading contemporary from her, I have only read her historical romances so far. I am not hating as it was a good read. Just not my favorite 😪
This was a confusing read to me. I am not used to reading contemporary from her, I have only read her historical romances so far. I am not hating as it was a good read. Just not my favorite 😪
September 27, 2017
This is the first book I have read from Brenda Joyce and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm surprised that she received so many one star. I'm anxious to begin another one of her books.
October 4, 2018
If you love romance, sex, history, ghosts then this is the book for you. I love Brenda Joyce. I wish she would go back to writing. Her "Deadly" series was outstanding
February 1, 2019
Nota Geral: 1.9/5
Escrita: 2.5
Cenário: 3
Originalidade: 3
Personagens: 1.5
Suspense: 3
Humor: 1
Romance: 1
Capa: 1
Aditivo: 1
Previsível: 2
Escrita: 2.5
Cenário: 3
Originalidade: 3
Personagens: 1.5
Suspense: 3
Humor: 1
Romance: 1
Capa: 1
Aditivo: 1
Previsível: 2
August 29, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up. Only really started to enjoy the last quarter of the book where is started to pick up the pace and the story got more interesting.
February 15, 2024
A thriller that gives the reader ample goosebumps!
June 7, 2025
did not enjoy the story. too far fetched
January 26, 2026
I enjoyed this book although there were some Austin's I had about the plot. Curious why the characters didn't just leave at least for the sake of the children lol
March 10, 2011
Cass de Warenne is a writer of historical fiction who lives with her aunt and her sister's daughter in England. Cass' sister, Tracey returns home with a fantastic ruby necklace from her job at Sotheby's. She also brings Antonio de la Barca, her boyfriend, who also has an interest in the necklace, believing it to have belonged to an ancestor of his. As more information is revealed about this ancestor, they discover that the two families have been involved for generations, always with tragic consequences. Cass, Tracey, Antonio, Antonio's brother, Gregory and the two children belonging to Tracey and Antonio end up at la Casa de Suenas, the de la Barca family home, where they are confronted with the ghost of Isabel de Warenne de la Barca and the vengeance Isabel wishes to wreak on both families.
This novel of ghosts, history and revenge reads more like a straight-to-dvd horror flick than a novel. The setup to the action is rather longer and more arduous than necessary. The plot has a good concept, but the execution is quite heavy handed. The characters are still trying to disbelieve the existence of the ghost almost to the last page. Also, a lot of information is revealed to the reader, flashback style. The author can't quite make up her mind whether the characters are privy to this information as well. They seem to be aware of some things, without having gleaned that information from any obvious source other than the preceding chapter, but then, they are still in the dark about other details. The writing style is also...off...somehow. I can't really put my finger on what I didn't like about it, but the sentences did not seem to flow. I found myself having to re-read certain sentences to figure out what they meant, and in what is marketed as a 'beach book;' the reader shouldn't have to think that hard.
Having said all that; however, I was compelled to continue reading to the end. I liked the characters, for the most part, and was curious about what happened to them, as well as what happened to Isabel to make her so angry and vengeful. The ending was a little anti-climactic, and after more than 400 pages, I expected a bit better payoff.
Reading over this review, it seems more negative than I had intended. I did like the book. I'm just not sure I really like the author.
This novel of ghosts, history and revenge reads more like a straight-to-dvd horror flick than a novel. The setup to the action is rather longer and more arduous than necessary. The plot has a good concept, but the execution is quite heavy handed. The characters are still trying to disbelieve the existence of the ghost almost to the last page. Also, a lot of information is revealed to the reader, flashback style. The author can't quite make up her mind whether the characters are privy to this information as well. They seem to be aware of some things, without having gleaned that information from any obvious source other than the preceding chapter, but then, they are still in the dark about other details. The writing style is also...off...somehow. I can't really put my finger on what I didn't like about it, but the sentences did not seem to flow. I found myself having to re-read certain sentences to figure out what they meant, and in what is marketed as a 'beach book;' the reader shouldn't have to think that hard.
Having said all that; however, I was compelled to continue reading to the end. I liked the characters, for the most part, and was curious about what happened to them, as well as what happened to Isabel to make her so angry and vengeful. The ending was a little anti-climactic, and after more than 400 pages, I expected a bit better payoff.
Reading over this review, it seems more negative than I had intended. I did like the book. I'm just not sure I really like the author.
October 24, 2012
Scared the hell out of me.
But maybe because I read it at night, all alone, on Halloween?
If you are into slasher type horror, then this book is not for you.
But if you like 15th Century ghosts who knows how to use a laptop to express their feelings, then this is the perfect book for you.
The book was okay, a little bit dragging at times.
I don't like Cass, I think she's an insecure b*tch and really annoying.
Antonio, the love interest is not that swoon worthy, also. In fact, I like his twin brother, Gregory, more.
What's really annoying is the fact that all the terror arise because of the main characters' stubbornness and stupidity.
There are so much angst, sister rivalry, jealousy and betrayal here. There are also some hot scenes so I don't recommend it to kids under 18.
The only thing that held my interest is the interweaving of historical facts about the reign of Bloody Mary. I am obsessed with England's history and that kept my nose pressed on this book.
So I guess, the strength of this book lies on its plot and definitely not on its characters.
The lesson here? Don't read horror books, at night, on Halloween.
But maybe because I read it at night, all alone, on Halloween?
If you are into slasher type horror, then this book is not for you.
But if you like 15th Century ghosts who knows how to use a laptop to express their feelings, then this is the perfect book for you.
The book was okay, a little bit dragging at times.
I don't like Cass, I think she's an insecure b*tch and really annoying.
Antonio, the love interest is not that swoon worthy, also. In fact, I like his twin brother, Gregory, more.
What's really annoying is the fact that all the terror arise because of the main characters' stubbornness and stupidity.
There are so much angst, sister rivalry, jealousy and betrayal here. There are also some hot scenes so I don't recommend it to kids under 18.
The only thing that held my interest is the interweaving of historical facts about the reign of Bloody Mary. I am obsessed with England's history and that kept my nose pressed on this book.
So I guess, the strength of this book lies on its plot and definitely not on its characters.
The lesson here? Don't read horror books, at night, on Halloween.
May 31, 2014
Gothic! That about sums it up. This is an abridged version of this book, thank goodness, because it drove me crazy. Cass is telling Antonio that there's a ghost and then when ghost stuff happens over and over again she says that this couldn't be happening. Um, Cass, didn't you tell Antonio there was a ghost? And speaking of ghosts, this female ghost was making the rounds of everyone including the kids. And when Cass feels her one time, the struggle went on for about 20 minutes audiobook time which is like a 1000 years in God time. I'm sure I've read this author's books before and didn't find them as lacking as I found this book.
October 11, 2009
This is another good one by this author! It is a romantic suspense that forges a history that is complicated and trying. The plot connects the characters to another time when a curse was started. The female lead is a strong character, as the male lead. At times I didn't know if they were going to part ways or not due the the experiences that most couldn't get past. How this story is ends makes one think "Finally!" Also "I didn't think that would happen." I highly recommend this book!
December 19, 2010
I'm a mostly historical romance reader and a HUGE fan of BJ's historicals and because of her reputation, I decided to read this one even though it's set in modern-day times. Boy, am I glad I did! This has now become one of my favorite books!!!! Although it's a contemporary novel, it's got a dash of paranormal to keep you "glued to your seat" from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book!!!
June 18, 2012
I'm giving this book 1 star because it did have an intriguing secondary storyline featuring a woman who lived 450 years ago. That was the only redeeming thing. There was filthy language, disturbing sub plots, and when I finally got to the climax, (which I sped read a lot to get to) there was no point. I threw the book in the trash and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
April 28, 2024
I love this book that I have read a half dozen times. You have a mixture of romance, historical, and paranormal horror. It is an enjoyable read that you will continue to think about long after the last page.
February 8, 2008
Oh I loved this. I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, but it was one of those chilling books you don't want to put down. I can't wait to read more of her work.
June 26, 2008
An incredibly intense story that made me not want to be in the dark. I found myself looking over my shoulder when I was alone. It was incredible.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews