I love spooky season reading. I think one of my new annual traditions is picking up a book by Lana Harper. From Bad To Cursed is the second book in the Witches of Thistle Grove series. This story was such an excellent way to delve into the season. Although it isn’t set during autumn, it still gives the witch vibes and filled me with the serotonin hit that I needed.

From Bad To Cursed opens up with Isidora Avramov summoning a demon and messing it up. Things take another turn when a witch from the Thorn family is attacked by a hex during an annual event. The Avramov family is under suspicion given their affinity for necromantic magic. In the interest of fairness, however, a member from the Thorn family – Rowan Thorn and a member from the Avramov family – Issa – pair up to get the the bottom of who was behind the hex. While they hated each other in the past – there’s now some clear chemistry between Issa and Rowan despite being total opposites. Will they get to the bottom of what happened? Obviously – but the journey to the answer is well worth it.

Lana Harper’s latest is so enjoyable. While I am not really a chaotic person too much anymore, Issa is absolutely chaotic good and I love her. She is fun to read about. Plus, she does have her moments of relatability — as she suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. I loved that Rowan was so calming and just a really good person. He comes across as rigid/lawful, but there’s a reason. I also liked being able to see what Emmy and Talia were up to as well. Additionally, we got to explore a little more of Thistle Grove and their traditions. This is really a great book for anyone who likes stories about witches with a diverse and compelling cast of characters.

This was fun, light and punchy, very much along the same lines as the first novel in this series, Payback's a Witch. I, however, significantly preferred the voice of this second installment and found the character of Isidora much more enjoyable to read about than Emmy. The "wild child" main character lent the prose a slightly darker edge, and Harper seemed to have found her voice in this second release. My only true disappointment was upon figuring out that this was not a sapphic romance like the first novel was! Either way, I greatly look forward to the third release in the series next year.

Another witchy romance book perfect for the fall!

I liked Paybacks a Witch, but I enjoyed this one even more. I liked the mystery plot, it kept me entertained and curious & a big part of why I liked this book more than the first. And the ongoing family feud between the Thorns & Arvamovs? I was here for it!

I loved Issa & Rowan! I really enjoyed the tropes included in this book when it came to main couple — enemies to lovers vibes & being forced to work together are two of my faves so I ate this up!

If you liked Paybacks a Witch or The Ex Hex I think you’d enjoy this!

In Payback’s a Witch we are left wondering why there seems to be bad blood between Rowan and Issa. In this installment of The Witches of Thistle Grove series we get to read the story that fills in that gap and follow these two as they try to solve the mystery of who is behind the efforts to sabotage the Beltane festival.

If you enjoyed the first book this one was a fun read!

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Lana Harper’s second novel in her Witches of Thistle Grove series, Isidora Avramov is hiding from her necromancer family that she doesn’t want to be involved in their Arcane Emporium business anymore. She no longer finds fulfillment being the artistic director of their haunted house. What she really wants to do is be a fashion designer. But she can’t tell that to her mother, matriarch of the family.

During a town celebration before the Beltane festival, someone unleashes an attack of dangerous dark magic, seriously injuring a member of the Thorn family. Since suspicion falls on the Avramovs because of the necromantic nature of the spell, the family is allowed to have a representative in the investigation, and Issa’s mother chooses her. Worse yet, the Thorn representative is Rowan, her archnemesis.

Issa and Rowan have loathed each other for years. She sees him as a pompous do-gooder; he thinks she is a smart-mouthed rule-breaker. The town’s different magic families have never been close, jealously guarding their separate powers.

Issa and Rowan agree to work as a team to find the source of the dark spell. Despite their initial animosity, a powerful attraction grows as they investigate together. As they get closer to the answer, they find themselves in danger, with Rowan becoming the next target.

Lana Harper has created an enthralling witchy world, filled with wonderfully offbeat and diverse characters. The rom-com is spiced with moments of danger and horror and is an entertaining read.

I kept trying but this book just didn’t suck me in like the first in this series. I loved the first book so I was sad that I couldn’t get into this ine

I struggled with another of Harper's books and thought to give this one a chance. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good fit. I struggled with her worldbuilding. Perhaps just a style I'm not used to.

While this is definitely better than Payback's a Witch, I still wish this series held my attention better. This time I probably picked this book up and put it back down like 4-5 times. There is nothing wrong with this book to me, but sadly my reading tastes have definitely changed this year. And sadly, From Bad to Cursed didn't really speak to me.

Lana Harper's writing is spellbinding (pun intended)!

Harper's witchy paranormal romance, FROM BAD TO CURSED (THE WITCHES OF THISTLE GROVE, #2) offers readers a sexy 'n' charming enemies-to-lovers romance that is in ample supply of snappy banter and a diversely represented cast of memorable characters.

It was so much fun to be back in Thistle Grove with our lovely clans of witches. This time we learned even more about the elusive and death magic that is conjured by the Avramov witches. Isidora Avramov is our leading lady and I grew to absolutely adore her character. Issa is wild, loves the thrill, sometimes reacts quickly without thinking things through, but she is also kind and loves her family passionately and will put others before herself. Despite this she thinks she is so different from Rowan Thorn. Thorn magic is green, full of life, and healing which seems the complete opposite of Avramov and Issa in general. Issa and Rowan have a past that Issa can't get over since she know for a fact Rowan hates her. When they are selected to lead an investigation on a curse set upon Holly Thorn things could go south quickly. However through time Rowan and Issa learn more about each other, their magic, and Issa learns to let others help her and see when she is at her lowest. They have a sweet rivals to lovers romance with obstacles thrown in to stop them from being together. They are opposites and equals and their romance is so sweet and brings more togetherness for all the witch families in Thistle grove.

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper was that rare case where I loved book two in a series SO MUCH MORE than the first book. Payback's a Witch, the first in the Witches of Thistle Grove series, was only an okay read for me, but Harper won me over with Isidora and Rowan's story. Their two families have disliked each other for generations because their magics are diametrically opposed--life and death, two sides of the same coin. Unfortunately, they have to join forces to sleuth out the identity of the malicious individual sabotaging fellow witches with dark and dangerous hexes. Their mutual dislike turns into something else entirely as they follow the trail of increasingly perplexing clues.

I loved this witchy, magical romance set back in the town of Thistle Grove. It's funny and swoony and all the things a good paranormal romance is supposed to be, if a paranormal romance were set in a small town a la Stars Hollow. I just love the small town, everyone knows everyone feeling, and I love how Rowan and Issa open up to each other and are able to reframe their previous history, once they understand each other better.

The story is sweet, the magic of the town is unique, and the I can't wait to read more about the goings on in Thistle Grove. Now I just have to wait for book three!

First, I want to thank the publisher for sharing a review copy of this title. I finished in May right before pub day and have not had a moment to sit down and write the review.

This is book 2 in the Witches of Thistle Grove series.

Fantasy is a newer genre for me, and if I am being honest, I can't say how memorable this book was for me. It took us 25 long chapters before we really got to any action and adventure. Rowan and Issa were a better, more interesting, pairing than I anticipated but their constant feuding because they come from different families really wore me down. That whole Romeo/Juliet two-houses-divided nonsense is not my cup of tea. I wanted to DNF the book a couple of times, but I wanted to see how it all turned out so I kept reading.

The second novel in The Witches of Thistle Grove series, From Bad to Cursed lived up to its predecessor!

Trouble is afoot in Thistle Grove when a witch from the Thorn family is attacked by a necromantic curse during a town festival. Representatives from the Avramov and Thorn families, Issa and Rowan, are thrown together to track down the culprit - too bad they despise each other. As the two are forced to put their family rivalry and personal dislike for one another aside, opposites attract.

I enjoyed delving back into the witchy world of Thistle Grove. Since the world-building was established in the first instalment, the characters and their relationships were explored more deeply. I loved the mystery plot and the flirty and fun banter.

Thank you #NetGalley and Berkley for the arc!

Favorite Quotes:

We glared at each other, the distance between us seeming to thin and contract, pulsing like a heartbeat, as if our shared loathing were potent enough to actually distort the fabric of reality.

I glanced up at the massive gilded portrait of Margarita Avramov— our family’s ancestor and one of the four original founders of Thistle Grove— hanging on the flocked maroon wallpaper above the fireplace. She appraised the crowd of her descendants with black and lustrous eyes, set in the kind of gorgeous resting bitch face that could launch a thousand ships, probably mostly out of screaming terror.

A gratified glow fueled by pure pettiness lit just beneath my ribs. There’s a certain special exhilaration to driving the object of your loathing to soothing breathing techniques.

I was playing with the worst kind of fire here, and I knew it— but when had that ever stopped me before? When had it ever done anything at all, besides making me want to keep blazing my way down trails marked “forbidden”? For me, the forbiddenness usually tended to be the point.

Quit trying to salt my game.


My Review:

I rarely read this genre as I am far too lazy for all the world-building so I’m unfamiliar with the different roles and rules and types of magic, but despite the extra effort it took, I found the divisions and petty feuds between death magic and green magic quite clever. I was pleasantly surprised by the range and diversity of the author’s pen with keen snark, biting humor, and creepy curses and spells. The plot was intricate and slowly unfolded with unpredictable story threads and a bit of everything with thick and juicing servings of salty language, an entertaining macabre mystery, a fledgling romance, sensuality, and family drama. I enjoyed the change of pace and have decided I should indulge in this genre more often.

Lana Harper's books continue to fill the Charmed and Buffy voids in my life. I think her books are the perfect balance of plot, action and spice, and I can't wait to see how she continues to develop this series and expand the world of Thistle Grove.

Much like Harper's other Thistle Grove book, I found this installment hard to put down, reading it in about 2 sessions. The writing is fun, and the setting is also excellent. I love that we see Thistle Grove in a different time of year, as I was worried that this series would fall into a hole of "Witches = Halloween".

My only two complaints are that 1) I didn't think the enemies portion of the enemies to lovers trope was developed enough for me to fully enjoy it, and 2) the mystery was pretty predictable.

Can't wait to see who we meet next in this series!

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy.

I was so excited to be back in Thistle Grove! What a fun book that made me SO ready for the fall and everything witchy. It took me a minute to shift gears from summer beach reads and get into the right mindset, but after a couple chapters I was hooked. I loved the dark magic aspect of the Avramov family but that it wasn't used for evil - it was just a darker form of magic than say, the Thorns.

Side note, I really want to go to the Emporium and the haunted house, and I don't even like haunted houses.

The chemistry between Rowan and Isadora was on fire, and the steamy scenes were well done. I liked the enemies to lovers aspect and how they worked together to figure out who casted the hexes on Holly and Rowan.

The magic was almost believable and I had to keep reminding myself that this is not real life.

Definitely recommended for fall reading! 4.5 stars, for me.

There was no sophomore slump with this book! The action picked right back up and threw us into the latest adventure in Thistle Grove. I loved reading about Issa and Rowan's enemy to begrudging detective partners to lovers. It was an interesting journey and I found the reason behind the curses to be very inventive. I think it did a good job of showing representation for people who suffer from anxiety and how difficult it can be to break away from family expectations even if they're supportive. I can't wait to read more in this series.

From Bad to Cursed is the second novel in Lana Harper's The Witches of Thistle Grove series. It's also one of several witchy-romance series that I've been enjoying. If you're looking for something more fun and casual to cheer you up (we've all been there!), consider giving this series a try!

Isidora Avramov is what you might expect as part of this witch family. She's a necromancer that summons demons for the thrills. She rocks all the dark witch vibes while still having a solid heart. Her adoration of animals may seem out of character until you get to know her.

However, Isidora does relish in one common family trait – continuing the family feud of sorts. She and Rowan have never gotten along, and their family history doesn't help. However, they will have to learn together if they want to stand a chance at saving Thistle Grove.

“I serve my goddess, my ancestors, and above all, myself,” I intoned quietly.”

I have a confession: I've been enjoying these puny witchy book titles FAR more than I would like to admit. I think they're half the reason I've picked up so many series like this all of a sudden. The characters and representation are just icing on the cake.

I enjoyed Payback's a Witch, so I was basically counting down the days to the release of From Bad to Cursed. As my description probably gave away, the second novel in the series jumps to new characters. We're still in Thistle Grove but moving on to other issues and love interests.

That isn't to say that Emmy and Talia are out of the picture – they're still in town, so they make a few appearances. It's nice to see how they're doing, don't you think? I'll admit that part of me had been hoping to continue Emmy's story, mainly because I wanted a first-person perspective of what it was like to run (and change) Thistle Grove. But I'm not complaining about what I got.

From Bad to Cursed did a solid job leading readers around for a bit of a mystery. It was fun trying to put the puzzle pieces together alongside the leading characters. I think I got it only a chapter or two before they did, which is always satisfying.

The romantic trope in From Bad to Cursed is very much enemies to lovers, which I'll admit is my weakness. It worked well here, adding additional layers to the threat the town faces.
Next up, we have Back in a Spell (due to release in 2023), which looks like we're jumping to the perspective of Nineve Blackmore and Morty Gutierrez. I can't wait!

I loved the first of this series and the entire world of Thistle Grove, but Isidora is incredibly hard to like. Her powers felt like an afterthought even though they were much cooler than her fashion sense. Rowan was great though, and I liked the main plot well enough. I just didn't enjoy the romance or the conclusion enough to make me love this book.