Gates of Paradise

I really enjoyed the first book in the Casteel series about poor Heaven struggling to help raise her family. Yes, it is very twisted and strange and gets worse as the book goes on but I would read it again. The second book was okay as well. The third book was way too soap-opera-y. Too many earth-shattering things happening at once. But the fourth book is absolutely ridiculous. I started reading it again because I totally forgot what happens in the series. But to kill off the two main characters of the series just so the girl can live with her creepy grandpa? Ridiculous. I don't think I even care about what happens, I probably won't finish it. And the fact that VC Andrews ALWAYS has siblings or half-siblings fall in love each other is just creepy and gross (Did she love her brother or something?). I read the Hudson Series and of course the Dollanganger series. Probably won't be reading anymore of them now.

I read all of vc Andrews books as a teenager .Movies came on lifetime they are horrible in accurate a joke.However it did make me feel nostalgic about this series I reread this series several times as a teenager so I did re-read the books.I love them as much as I did when I was a teenager.

And so it continues. Gates of Paradise is a story of loss and a story of everlasting love. Annie loses her family in a tragic accident and must overcome injuries that leave her temporarily disabled. On her journey to recovery, she encounters her grandfather Tony Tatterton and Farthinggale Manor. Only then does she begin to see the real world inside her fantasy castle. Farthinggale is shrouded in secrecy and delusion. Stuck in the past! Loved it.

I read Flowers in the Attic years ago, along with my mother, sister and friends. Just like the Casteel series, we couldn’t put them down! While there is some very disturbed characters, you can’t wait to see how the story is resolved. With the amazing character development, they jump off the pages into your mind and you just have to see what happens next.

I had read book 1 and decided that no matter what I needed to read the whole series. I am now on book 5 the final book written. Although I cannot say that each book was a 5 star to me, I still enjoyed each one and highly recommend indulging yourself with each book in sequence!

I enjoyed the story, it’s a easy read and fun to follow the lives of the characters. The only flaw is that it seems to repeat the first book.

Can't wait to read this. I am currently reading the other installments in this series.

Read the complete Casteel Series. Wanted to read it before the movie series on Lifetime. I enjoy this author

It is so bittersweet to be back in this world again. I took a few days off in-between reading the first three books and this one.In this book, we are following Annie, Heaven’s daughter. We see her as a grown-up 18-year-old and living a fanciful, happy and free life. She has everything she could possibly wish for and everything Heaven didn’t have when she was growing up.It is strange seeing Heaven as only a peripheral character and not the main voice of the story. I always feel a sense of loss when reading this book as if she has moved on and wants to live her life privately. However, this factor and the small break I took did lessen the pain when disaster struck.Annie is forced through circumstances to go to Farthingale Manor and stay with who she believes is her step great-grandfather, Tony. She is crippled and needs to recuperate, and everyone around decides that this would be the best environment for her. However, the sinister ghosts that have lived at Farthy for many years have grown restless and aren’t prepared to give Annie the peace she needs. Instead, her nightmare has only just begun.This has never been my favourite book in the series, mainly for no longer following Heaven. However, this time around, I have enjoyed it much more. I truly felt the despair that Annie was feeling and felt as trapped as she was; there was no way out of the situation; she was truly at Tony’s mercy.Knowing all the secrets up front as well, I was spurred on to read and revisit Annie’s involvement of them unravelling around her.It was great to read this book once more, and I feel emotionally wrung out, and I still have the final instalment to read, which always breaks me. I’m going to move straight on to it, and rip it off like a plaster.

I read these books more than once many years ago and decided to re-read them. None of the books post VC Andrews death are quite at the same quality levels as the Dollanganger series but I believe that the first Casteel book was partially written by her and the storyline for the other books were outlined prior to her passing. It's a good series with the obvious incestuous twists and turns that the Flowers in the Attic books were famous for. The whole series is an easy read and quite predictable which is what I like about these books, it's the literary equivalent of reading a soap and a good 'trashy' way to unwind.

Another twist of fate and denial then truth.The Casteel family have more dramas than anyone.You can almost foresee the outcome of the story that unfolds. However, you're still buried deep in the book that you continue to read.Years on this book stands strong as a great read. Downloading book 5 to see what happens next for them all.

Re reading the books I read many years ago.. Still fabulous, easy reading, and one book in this series in particular still makes me cry...!! Lovely story!

I loved it for all ends well as expected. I now read the prequel, and although I know what to expect, I am enjoying the story and now see Jillian as a greedy person for wealth and the good life.