A lackluster follow-up to “Payback’s a Witch.” The redeeming factor of the first novel was the strong, yet grounded characters paired with that autumnal feel. The characters felt flat and fake. Even the witchy feel couldn’t redeem this one as it just didn’t have any magic.
2.75/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A welcome return to Thistle Grove, this time with a deep dive into the Avramov’s family via Issa, younger sister to Thalia who featured prominently in book one. In book two, there is a more sinister evil lurking in Thistle Grove. It seems as though someone is targeting the Thorn family when a Misbegotten Curse is cast at an annual spring event physically scarring Holly Thorn and stripping her of her magic. Issa Avramov is partnered with Rowan Thorn to uncover the mystery of who cast the spell. The relationship between Issa and Rowan is animus to say the least and goes beyond the general mistrust between Avramovs and Thorns. Things have been sticky ever since Issa was fired by Rowan from her volunteer work at an animal shelter after she cursed him (not unproved) to be followed around by demonic squirrels. As they work together, it becomes clear to both that a current of something more lies beneath their animosity. Will they be able to overcome decades of family dispute, solve the mystery of some seriously dark magic, and fall in love?

I was delighted by this read. I thought it held up really well for the second book in a series. My one complaint is that I would have really liked to get inside Rowan's head a little bit too. But the storyline and chemistry are spectacular. I cannot wait to read my way through all the founding families casts of characters in books to come.

Ahhhh it felt so good to return to Thistle Grove. I love this town and it's witches. Funny and swoony and exciting- a total joy to read.

Another fun installment of the witches of Thistlegrove! The world building and characters in this series have my heart

From Bad to Cursed is the second book in the Witches of Thistle Grove series and focuses on Isidora (Issa) Avramov and Rowan Thorn. Both characters made small appearances in Paybacks a Witch, Isidora is Talia's younger sister and Rowan is Linden's twin brother. The story is a slow burn and is told from Isidora's first-person pov. Rowan and her don't really start interacting until a few chapters in though there is clearly some history there hinted at in the first book.

The story focuses again on the four powerful witch families of Thistle Grove with the Avramovs being front and center. This time the Avramovs and the Thorns must team up after a spell gone wrong nearly kills one of the Thorns and the spell has a distinctly Avramov feel. Issa and Rowan are forced to work together to both figure out who would want to hurt the Thorns and clear the Avramov name. The enemies-to-loves romance builds as the two learn more about each other and their old issues seem to be mostly miscommunication. Rowan is a genuinely nice guy which works well with Issa's prickliness. We also get to learn more about the Avramov family and Issas secret desire to be a fashion designer. as well as Rowan's green magic and his connection with plants and trees. The twist of who actually cast the spell to hurt the Thorn family completes the story and Rowan and Issa get their happily ever after.

I was SO very excited to read From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper. I enjoyed Payback's a Witch, but this one was better for me somehow. I LOVED Issa and Rowan, and their banter was just *chef's kiss*. This was warm and fun and a little spicy!

It was a very addictive, witty and an absolute charming read for me. I really liked the voice of the heroine, their quick wit and sharp mind. And the sweeping romance with a trope of enemies to lovers was pure fire. In a nutshell, it’s a full 5 stars read for me.

I just devoured this book. It was such a fantastic enemies to lovers romance. The angst, the banter, and the chemistry was just everything!! I so loved the characters and the plot had me oohing and aching almost every minute. So, it’s a definite 5 stars read for me.

An enjoyable romp with the Witches of Thistle Grove. In this enemies to lovers romance, Issa and Rowan are partnered to work together to uncover who used the Misbegotten Curse on Rowan’s cousin. Issa and Rowan have been at odds for seven years, back when Issa (rightfully) hexed Rowan to be followed by Pet Sematary-esque squirrels. Overcoming their mutual animosity, they soon realized they actually … really like each other.
The book was lovely, and I enjoyed spending time with the characters, and getting to know the Bitters (the Avramov’s family home) better.

Thistle Grove has quickly become a place I want to visit again and again. This time we meet Isidora and Rowan, thrown together to investigate when a fellow witch receives a nasty curse during a ceremony. The banter among all the characters is warm and funny, and the sexy parts are very sexy, but my favorite part of this series is the lore and history of the four witchy families and their tangle of alliances and rivalries. I’ve also really enjoyed following the celebratory calendar, this time Beltane and next time Yule. I am very excited about the next installment.

Packed with witchy fun and fury, this second book set in Thistle Grove delves into more magical family members. There is so much inclusive language and diversity in characters. The romance is spicy but the whole story is enchanting.

Just like the first of this series, I absolutely devoured this book! From Bad to Cursed does everything a sequel should - it fleshes out side characters from the first that you already love, carries the devilishly magical atmosphere from the first novel, and gives glimpses of our favorite couple in Payback’s a Witch. This story follows Issa Avramov’s chaotic and investigation alongside Rowan Thorn when a celebration goes awry.
This is a fantastic enemies to lovers story and I adored how this story delved into the families and the relationships amongst them even more.
Obviously I’ll be immediately purchasing this one when it’s released and I'm so grateful to NetGalley for this arc!

This was a cute book! It was a fun short read. However, it took a few chapters for me to get into the book. I also felt a little lost in places because I hadn't read the first book in the series. I feel like I would have had a better sense of the world and characters' families if I had read that first. Isidora Avramov and Rowan Thorn, from rival magical families, are thrown together to investigate a curse that interrupted the town's Beltane festival, but they didn't get along the last time they had to work together at the animal shelter. My favorite part was the mystery. I became pretty invested in the finding out whodunnit, and thought the conclusion was satisfying. The romance was fun, but I felt the conflict between them as arch nemesis was overblown. If I am searching for a light read, I may return to the series to read the first book.

From Bad To Cursed was incredible just as i predicted. I read Lana Harper's first book back in October and reading about the incredible witchy town that is Thistle Grove made me feel so at home. So much so that I was DESPERATE for the sequel! I was incredibly lucky to receive an arc of it and let me just say it does NOT disappoint. Issa might be one of my favourite characters of all time, not just within this series! Harper did a fantastic job at staying true to that cozy feeling book one created, while also seamlessly expanding the world. Her writing is so vivid, I can very easily imagine myself there at all of the festivities taking place. The whodunit aspect of the book was a fun addition that will definitely keep readers on the edge of their seats. Finally, I am NOT a romance reader. Like ever. Even now any romance that I pick up they have to have a magical or paranormal spin on them, which is why I love the Thistle Grove series so much! But the enemies to lovers trope was so fun to read about with a witchy spin! The only thing I wish is that there was more of it!! That might just be me being bias but I'm ALWAYS going to wish these books were longer! I can't wait to read but three!

I am 100% here for this new series - Payback’s a Witch was a really really fun read, and a highlight of last year and what perfect timing for this next installment that doesn't let down. It's escapist reading at its best - just a really fun read with fun characters, solid writing and a witchy plot.


This is the second in a series, but I think you could get away with not reading the first book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC

I really enjoyed reading this modern day gender swapped Hades and Demeter meets small town urban fantasy mixed with hint of cozy mystery. Harper leans in all the way to the enemies vs. lovers tropes to an extent which made me giggle in the beginning as our lovers _really_ hate each others' guts. The sex scenes are moving, the families are fun and the book ends with the first three chapters of the next book in the series, which I can't wait for. Recommended.

A note: this is the second book in the series. I have not read the first, but although I had no problem jumping in, fair warning, this book does completely blow the plot of the first book. If you care about such things, read Payback's a Witch first.

Lana Harper has done it again! I couldn’t get enough of Emmy and Talia in “Payback’s a Witch”, and I was pleased to discover that I’d fallen for Issa and Rowan just the same in “From Bad to Cursed”. This is a fast paced, enemies to lovers story that follows two witches from rival families with a…complicated history, who must work together to solve a blight wreaking havoc on one of Thistle Grove’s founding families.

Perfect for anyone who loves magic, witches, and all the sexual tension in between!

Full review posted to links after embargo date.

PAYBACK’S A WITCH was one of my favorite reads last year, and I was so excited to return to sweet Thistle Grove. The second book in a series is often a challenge, particularly when the first had as great a reception as PAW did, and Harper really delivers in FBTC. There’s more magic, more lore, and even a touch more spice.

One of the things that I loved about PAW was its emotional resonance – Emmy was really struggling to find her place and there was a lot of really gorgeous writing about loneliness and trying to understand yourself. FBTC is a little lighter on this front, and I found myself really missing that. Harper showed she was capable of some really, really lovely prose in the first book, and I wish we’d seen more of that. The writing is still impeccable, I just found myself kind of wishing for a few gut-punch sentences here and there.

I’m never going to turn down a visit to Thistle Grove, and I’m already looking forward to my next trip!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Y'all, I really had a great time with this book! While I loved Payback's a Witch, the whole enemies-to-lovers of it all in this one appealed to me even more. I am always a fan of some good banter and this book definitely has plenty of that. I also enjoyed learning more about Thistle Grove and the Arimov's magic in this book. I can't wait to continue reading about the Thistle Grove witches in further books!

Thank you for this e-arc!

I didnt read the first book but it was a companion so I don’t feel like I missed anything vital. This was a fun, fast paced read. Enemy to lovers (love that trope!) and the characters had GREAT chemistry. This was a really fun witchy, romance with a mystery.