Alice has never been much for ordinary, and her new job at the mysterious Strande Mansion comes complete with strange noises, a sinister ghost, creepy legends, and a sexy amateur magician.
Of course, Alice doesn’t actually believe in ghosts, but what she encounters at the Strande Mansion has her questioning a lot of things—including whether or not her gorgeous new boss is as skilled in the … bedroom as he is at illusions.
Julian Strande may have died a century ago, but that doesn’t stop him from taking a keen interest in the new caretaker of his estate. It’s been such a long time since he’s had anyone to play with. And he plans to have a great deal of fun with Alice. That is, if she doesn’t run screaming from his home first…
Author’s Note: This book is what I would call “villain romance.” This story is for anyone who always finds the villain more interesting than the hero. That said, they are therefore sometimes not the nicest of male heroes. This story has a HEA, but it may be a tough ride getting there. This story has mature themes and content.
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Ghosts are real.
At least that’s what Alice Monroe believes long before the end of this read.
But then, I believe it too!
The introverted gamer and geek-girl is happy with her new position as live-in caretaker for the Strande Estate. Once home to illusionist, Julian Strande, the four-story mansion is now a public attraction featuring tours and magic shows.
Alice isn’t put off by the rumors of people disappearing, unexplained accidents, or of the mansion being haunted by Strande himself, but when things not only go bump in the night, they talk… and touch, her fear is outweighed by curiosity and excitement. Julian Strande is haunting his home and he’s a little creepy and a lot pervy. The things he does to her shouldn’t be possible, and… she shouldn’t enjoy it.
However, as she grows closer to the mansion’s current owner, Charles Mensonge, Alice is conflicted. Julian will not be denied, but she’s falling in love with Charles, the arrogant, controlling magician’s great-grandnephew… and the spitting image of him.
When Alice confesses her love for Charles to his uncle, things settle down, but not for long. The mansion, its mazes, and Julian’s mysterious disappearance one hundred years ago become obsessions for her and the pragmatic puzzle-solver doesn’t realize her search takes her closer to Julian and his plans for their future.
Great read that pulled me in from the beginning. The author’s attention to detail made the Strande Mansion a formidable character that had me doodling on a scratch to see the things described.
Alice and Charles are weird… but in a good way. She smoothes his sharp edges and he pulls the withdrawn loner from her comfort zone. They’re a cute couple and have good chemistry even though I knew despite his candid, abrupt personality, Charles wasn’t telling Alice everything.
And then there’s Julian, a one-hundred-fifty-year-old, self-centered ghost with an attitude. Being dead doesn’t stop him from lording over the mansion, dispensing his brand of punishment when people annoy him, much like the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. The author calls this read villain romance and she nailed it as Julian veers off into psycho-land, flipping between a caring, attentive lover and a harsh dominant. A sleeping Alice doesn’t hear the secret he whispers in her ear, but she’s sharp and will figure it out. Right?
You won’t have to suspend belief for this paranormal tale. Julian Strande will convince you it’s real and not an illusion. Trust me.
Enjoy!
No Spoilers – It ruins the magic
Illusions of Grandeur is a five-star read that is not to be missed!
An engaging masterpiece full of mystery, mischief, and romance.
From the moment you arrive at the Strande estate, you will be in its thrall.
It pulls you in …
You can feel the pressure in the air –
The hint of darkness that hovers just out of your reach prompting goosebumps to rise upon your flesh.
So much mystery and mayhem trapped within its walls.
“All the worst ideas have the best intentions”
I knew right from the gate that Mr. Mensonge (look up the definition) was going to be a handful and he did not disappoint me.
Half the time he had me running in circles the other half he had my heart doing the swoon. Okay, maybe 80/20 is a bit closer to the truth. When it comes to him I wasn’t sure which way was up. I can not tell you how many times I paused to question my own sanity or went back to double-check a possibility.
Who is J.S.?
This one will drive you batty!
I have more questions at this point than answers.
Alice has stumbled upon a puzzle and oh how she likes to solve the unsolvable. She is a practical thinker. For every action, there is a reaction. She is level headed while at the same time she is that girl.
A bit like a precious stone – multifaceted.
She is so easy to connect with.
I have raved about Kingsley since I stumbled upon her work with the Masks of Under. She has such a talent for breathing life into words. The worlds she crafts are truly unique with vivid characters that stay with you long after you close the pages.
Poor Alice has definitely fallen down the rabbit’s hole. After losing her job she is just trying to start her life over in a new town, in a new house, with a new job at the odd and mysterious mansion of long dead magician Julian Strande. Except it seems death was just another trick the magician seemed to master. So what’s a girl to do with an obsessed ghost that’s as mad as the Hatter, as mischievous as the Cheshire cat, and and as wicked as the Red Queen? Don’t fall for the dead magician’s tricks for one and more importantly don’t fall for the devilishly sexy slightly evil magician.
I absolutely loooooved this book and I’m head over heels for Julian!
No one does dark and dangerous swoon worthy villains quite like Kingsley
and so far for me Julian is perfect.
I can’t wait to find out what other secrets he’s hiding and I highly recommend Illusions of Grandeur.
I had to take a day to digest and really process what I wanted to say about this book. In summation: I seriously f*cking loved it. This was the first book I’ve read by Mrs. Kinglsey, and I’m DYING for book two. Literally counting the days. Honestly, it was a master class in how to make a book about a ghost and his house utterly enthralling, s*xy, mysterious, & spooky. And speaking of puzzle house-I can’t say enough about how Mrs. Kinglsey threaded interesting tidbits into the prose without overwhelmingly focusing on detail. I could see it all so clearly in my mind and yet the story didn’t drag or snag anywhere. (Again-master class.) This isn’t a typical romance, but none of the characters are your “typical” people. We have Alice, whose growth I genuinely appreciated as it was really her finding what her limits were, and Charles, Alice’s new boss and descendant of the sinister ghost, who I’m so friggin’ curious to find out what his whole thing is about. And let’s not forget the Impossible Julian Strande, because forgetting him would be the worst slight you could do to him. I love him. I have my suspicions about the ‘behind the curtain’ scenes, and I can’t wait to see if I’m right. I love Charles, too. That slightly unhinged thing they both have going is just so interesting. I felt the two removed scenes could have totally been included in the book, and actually shed some light on a few plotty threads I’d been confused on. And trust me—when you read this book, you absolutely want to read those scenes. (Don’t skip them. It’s worth a trip to her site. If the white on black bothers your eyes like it does mine you can swap the browser to night mode and it should reverse it) I am BEYOND glad I took a chance on an odd little book that popped up in my ads. There are plenty of sexy encounters, some intense scenes, and lots of chemistry. So, if you’ve ever dreamed about visiting a spooky old mansion, haunted by a sexy, insane, sadistic magician and filled with a plethora of bizarre exhibits, creations, traps and more, this is legit the book for you. 5 magical stars.
‘Illusions of Grandeur’ was amazing. And confusing. And so very wicked.
Her characters are remarkable and unexpected and terrible.
I now have a new favorite series to obsess over.
And that gorgeous cover? *drooling*
I can’t talk about the romance without giving spoilers but I want to say that I had my suspicions about that twist from the beginning. The author does a great job of making you doubt yourself and you want to keep reading just to solve the mystery and see if you were right.
As with her other books, the romantic interest is sweet, charming and kind of evil. This first book was a bit “tame” regarding the violence but something tells me that the next one will scandalize me completely. Can’t wait!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Kathryn Ann Kingsley has yet to disappoint me with any of her stories. And I’ll happily read anything she writes.
The mysterious and somewhat sinister Strande estate once owned by the late Illusionist and magician Julian Strande.
Now it’s Alice Monroe newest source of employment after answering an obscure advert in a local paper for a caretaker position.
So wow, this one captured my imagination instantly, It was in a word fantastic.
One of my favourite reads of this year and I managed to read this in one complete sitting I was that engrossed in the unfolding story.
This is just going to be my impression’s rather than anything deeper as this book really just needs to be experienced without prior preconceptions to get the most from it.
So this was everything I like in a story it was sinister and eerie and mysteriously chilling but also erotic and amusing and at times as light-hearted as it was serious.
I especially adored the character dynamics and the banter here was great, this also had major chemistry in the bucketloads.
I actually had a little bit of a girl crush on Alice, she was bloody fantastic and I can’t wait to learn more about the sinister and magnetic Julian, I want to unmask his many secrets he’s such a fascinating enigma.
I’m also wondering how on target my instincts are with him can’t wait to find out.
I Loved the puzzle box mansion so much and all the spooky and ghostly going’s on there and this managed to keep my attention right until the final words.
This really was such a unique story and definitely stands out from the crowd with its pure originality, It’s also fabulously well written.
There wasn’t one thing here that I disliked which doesn’t happen that often let me tell you.
I can’t wait to get my mitts on book 2 to continue on with this addictive journey, oh the anticipation with this one is going to slay me.
I highly recommend giving this one a go it was so very amazing.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of illusions of grandeur.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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The best gothic romance I’ve read in forever. And her writing skills really shine through. So happy to have discovered this series and author
Dark, melodic and thoroughly twisted, this is another hit for Kathryn Ann Kingsley, an author who is quickly becoming known for her ‘villain romances’. Don’t believe me? Read the Masks of Under. While completely different, from world to setting, the tales do share one feature that make them stand out from the throng of imitators…. shadowy ‘hero’s’ who indulge and delight in the fear, and sometimes pain, of others – especially the one they love the most.
There is no question that Julian Strande is a monster, yet there is something seductive about the monsters, especially THIS monster, a lulling of the soul that is pronounced as the pages stack and events move the conclusion ever closer. As we dance with Alice through this depraved Wonderland of the Strande Estate, we fall just as she does, discovering the secrets hidden in the walls while rejoicing in a growing love that is far more nebulous than Alice can possibly understand.
This is a mystery, a romance, a dark undertaking and a ghost tale, all wrapped into a macabre narrative that is more psychologically murky than it is bloody. It is not a horror story, by any means, though some may find the bumps in the night a little unnerving. Instead, it is an invitation to discover, and possibly love, an impossible man.
Perspective
Third Person, Multiple POV
Ending Type
Continuation
Rating
R to Adult
Romantic Dynamic
M/F
Character Age Range
Adult
What an interesting tale of ghosts, magic, love, and intrigue. What a fun story that keeps you guessing and on edge of what may happen next. Easy to read with just enough slow burn to make it fun. Great detail and imagination and wonderful characters. I will definitely be reading the next book I’m dying to know what’s next and if Alice can decipher Julian’s journal for a final surprise!
As Beautiful and Poignant as it is Unsettling and Macabre…
I have been in a huge book slump lately. Nothing I’ve read over the past few months has really grabbed me and pushed my emotional boundaries. Until now that is, because oh my, what a deliciously dark and sinister tale of a man who will not be denied and the woman he covets. “Illusions of Grandeur” the first of Kathryn Ann Kingsley’s “The Impossible Julian Strande” duet is a riveting, spellbinding story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and glued to every single page. You will be captivated by the sadistic tinged playfulness with which the magician snares his beloved little rabbit.
This is the first part of the tale of Alice, Charles, Julian, and the bounty of mysteries that surround them all. Alice being an enormously intelligent yet shy and reclusive woman, who after getting unceremoniously laid off from her job and spying an innocuous “help wanted” ad in her town’s newspaper, finds herself at the door of the Strande Estate. A large and foreboding property once home to the infamous illusionist Julian Strande that, along with its owner Charles, instantly captivates her and sends her down an alarming path of discovery. Discoveries that unnerve her, terrify her, but also make her curious to uncover the puzzle that is Julian Strande and his legacy. A puzzle, that pulls her deeper and deeper toward an unknown abyss as Julian himself lurks in the shadows, an ever present puppet master who has set his eyes on the beautiful and clever Alice. What follows is a hypnotic story that will catch your heart in its clutches from the very start and refuse to let it go.
Julian Strande is the moody, charismatic and over the top villain you never knew you needed in your life. His sharp wit and trickster persona pull you in like a bee to honey. His intensity and sadistic charm hypnotize you and leave you wanting more. His twisted interactions with Alice will leave your senses pulsating and needy. You will lust after every word within this book as you devour the chemistry between Alice, Charles, and Julian, it will leave you craving things you shouldn’t and begging for things you know will be your undoing. Never has being driven mad looked so very good.
Here, Kingsley’s storytelling is fantastical and dark, her literary landscape of a magical fun house gone demonic, hauntingly vibrant and almost ethereal. Her painting of Julian, the long dead but still very much alive soul, ever searching for something seemingly out of his reach for so very long, as beautiful and poignant as it is unsettling and macabre. Her presentation of Alice, similar to her storybook namesake but oh so much more, more fierce, more passionate, and so very brave, you will relate deeply to her even when you know you should warn her away. Here, Kingsley has given us a story filled to bursting with multifaceted, emotionally complex characters and soul touching need. It will become your new literary obsession before the third chapter is even done. It will haunt your imagination. It will invade your dreams. It will leave you craving more of everything housed within it; it is that goo
I love this book so much! It really dragged me into it I finished it in one sitting!!! I can’t wait for the next one to come out!
Do you like a villain romance? A little darkness, but also light? Mystery and intrigue. A haunted house and endless puzzles. Twists and turns. A ghost magician and flirtatious owner. This book left me wanting for more and eager for the next installment. Thanks KAK for another incredible book that takes you on rabbit hole of a journey.