Isidora is the wild child of a family of witches who work with the dead. Her problem is that she wants to get out of the family business of creating haunted houses and start a normal fashion brand. Then someone her family's magic brand to ruin events. Isidora has to team up with her arch-enemy, Rowan, to find out who is doing this.

This was an fine story. The setting is the best thing. However, this romance felt lacking. Isidora and Rowan can be cute but the build up was blah.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Issa was a very compelling main character. Not only did she have a lot of personality, but she was a very complex character and that was made clear pretty much from the beginning of the book. She had things she wanted and her inner struggle with those things was apparent and defined early on. She had a very distinct personality, and the contrast between who she was, how people viewed her and who she wanted to be made the interactions she had with other characters very interesting. Overall, she had a great character arc between resolving her internal conflict and the external threat in the story. Rowan was a character I was less excited about. I didn’t think he was a bad character, but very little about him stood out. His personality came across as a little bland. He didn’t seem to be as complex as Issa. He and Issa are meant to be total opposites, and I was hoping he’d have more personality to clash with hers, but I didn’t see it. So, rather than two great leads, there was a great lead and an okay one.

As the blurb indicates, Rowan and Issa develop an attraction as the story progresses. I don’t really have an opinion on the romance in this book in either direction. I wasn’t reading this book primarily for the romance, but I knew it would be an element. The development of the romance felt natural to the story, but nothing about it was especially memorable.

The plot of this book is a bit of a mixed bag. The first scene of this book is fantastic in giving a feel for the story and Issa as the narrator. The significance of the beginning isn’t obvious until later, but the author gave readers a great, and memorable, start to the story. The story has a steady progression leading up to the inciting incident, the sabotaging of a member of the Thorn family. Once that’s over, the story moves forward in fits and spurts. The main plot is about Issa and Rowan trying to figure out what happened, but at times it feels like it comes to a stop. Rather than develop the romance alongside progression of the main plot, the two are switching on and off, vying for attention. I wasn’t a fan of this because it made the external threat, the dark magic at play, feel like it wasn’t as serious as characters made it out to be. The climax of the novel almost made up for the slow middle. Not only was the climax exciting, but the resolution was unexpected. The conclusion ended in a way that made sense, but was also surprising. There were little hints about what was really going on throughout the story, but they were easy to overlook and made for a surprising, yet satisfying end to the story.

Since this is the second book in a series, discussing the world-building and magic system focuses more on what was added to the world in this story, rather than an overview of either element. The world was built out a little more from what the reader was shown in Payback’s A Witch, and the history between the witch families was explored to a greater extent. The conflicts between the families have a long history and this book explored that a lot more than the first one. The magic system is the same as before, but the concept of curses was introduced this time around. Not only did curses being involved add a complication to the plot, but it added depth and dimension to the magic system and raised the stakes of the conflict. The magic system is still very soft and loose, but this book shows it’s a little murkier, a little less rigid in terms of rules this time around.

From Bad to Cursed was a book I liked, but didn’t love. The narrator was a fantastic character and the book has a great start and a fantastic conclusion. The middle of the book has some slow points and the second main character wasn’t nearly as memorable. The author was able to expand on the world of Thistle Grove more, as well as add some interesting elements to the magic system. I wish I had gotten a little bit more out of this book, but it wasn’t a disappointment by any means. It’s a fun, entertaining read and I liked that this book could work as a standalone, as well as a sequel.

A huge thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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This is the second book in the Thistle Grove Witches series by Lana Harper. I surprisingly enjoyed the first one (surprising only because witchcraft and fantasy aren’t usually my go to genres), and I was excited when this book landed in my inbox. Isadora and Rowan are characters that we met briefly in Payback’s A Witch, but Issa was mentioned more or less in passing. Having her take center stage and being an antithesis to the previous main character really brings the reader into the world from a different perspective.
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Issa and Rowan are the definition of friends to lovers, and Harper plots this troupe skillfully; weaving their history into the present without the story getting too expositional. Their journey feels authentic and Issa is not a witch to be messed with or taken lightly. It was lovely to see her be the one doing the rescuing and not always needing to be rescued by her male counterpart. I also have to give a shout out to the secondary plot line of the haunted house that Issa’s family curates and runs. As a person who works in technical theatre, there was such care taken when writing about the design process and that alone felt magical!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

We return to Thistle Grove with From Bad to Cursed, the sequel to Payback’s a Witch. The vibes are still strong and I continue to desperately want to live in these books.

From Bad to Cursed is an enemies to lovers romance between wild child Isidora and tragically noble Rowan. The two are forced together to solve who is sabotaging the Beltane festival’s celebrations and clear their families’ names. In a shocking turn of events, they fall for each other.

This series continues to be the cutest. I wish I would have read this in October for the proper ~aesthetic~. I just love the town and the magic system. Issa and Rowan have excellent enemies to lovers chemistry with some Romeo and Juliet vibes thrown in. I enjoyed catching up with past characters and seeing more of this witchy world.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted on publication date.

Second times a charm for Lana Harper and her Witches of Thistle Grove. Loved this second outing almost more than the first! Rowan and Issa have a shaky past, as it was alluded to in Payback, which has their animosity at an all time high. However, when they are forced to team up to investigate who has cast a particularly nasty spell that injured Rowan’s cousin and her magic, they start sparking in a different way. I cannot wait for the next jaunt to Thistle Grove!
**I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Definitely a great read.**

Another fantastic read!! This was a light read but there was so much chemistry! Sometimes you just need a feel good book and this was definitely it. The characters were full developed and the setting made me wish it was fall already.

I loved the witchy vibes and I'll keep reading whatever Lana Harper wants to write.

It’s light and a bit frothy perhaps but I had a genuinely good time reading this (and book one too). The author showed me a good time and made me root for the two protagonists. That’s really all you need in a romance heavy story, to hope the characters get a happy ever after from their choices. I look forward to book three with enthusiasm!

Enemies to lovers. Need I say more?
Okay, I will. I thought this book was super cute! A witchy, rom-com, opposites attract vibe. The magic system/world was easy to follow up also very cool. I also loved the prose and found myself being able to identify more with the characters and how they spoke because of it.

This was good, although I don't think the witch-romance subgenre is for me. I do love witches and have read a few, but none of them have really landed with me. This was still very fun though, and I'll be recommending it to customers. The chemistry between the leads kept me interested.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Have you ever gotten in the mood where you wish the weather was cool, the leaves were falling, and you have a pumpkin spice latte in your hand? No, just me? Well sometimes that is the mood I get into and this book was the perfect read to transport me into fall. Witches, magic in the air, and a festival! instant fall vibes to me. Okay so anyway, Isidora is a likable main character. Rowan is *insert fire emoji here*. I loved the characters, I loved the vibe, and I loved the book. Cannot wait for part 3!

This was such a great read. This book is about a girl who wants to leave her family’s witch business behind and be a fashion designer but dark magic comes into town and Issa needs to investigate why with her archenemy, Rowan. For a second book in the series, I was glad I didn’t have to read the
first book in order to understand the world. The author did such an amazing job with describing the town that it didn’t feel like you were missing out. The story plot I do have to say was a little simple with easy future predictions and being simple. Though with the pacing and setting, the author nailed it with that part. I really enjoyed how much diversity and lgntq+ rep the author had this book because I don’t see it much in paranormal witch book. This book is written in Issa's but also wished for Rowan's.

The main characters in this book are Issa and Rowan. Both are from completely different families but need to solve a mystery together. Issa is such a brave, tough woman who wants to follow her passion and Rowan hates Issa and needs to solve a case. I really enjoyed both characters in this book and thought they were well written. The author did a great job with writing their character development in this book. There are many side characters in this book whom I enjoyed and some I’m guessing are in the first book too just because it takes place in the same world. I enjoyed so many of the side characters in this book especially since it was a mystery, a lot was needed to keep up with the story. The romance in this book is enemies to lovers which I absolutely loved and it’s also one of my favorite tropes. The romance was steamy and just perfect.

The ending was good but not the best plot twist as it was easy to predict. But this book was really enjoyable to read and I’m a huge fan of witch books so I’m not surprised I enjoyed this book. Even though I can be a huge sucker of plot as this one was kind of lacking, the characters and romance
were just perfect so it worked out in my opinion. I did have some minor problems with this book as you have read but overall such an amazing book. It’s a perfect, steamy modern paranormal romance you will need to read. I recommend this to fans of Lucifer and Not the Witch You Wed.

This was a wonderful follow-up to Harper's last book! I enjoyed the characters and the romance. It's such a fun world for this story, and I enjoy all the crazy things that happen! The banter between the characters brings a fun lightness to the story, and I found myself completely immersed in this story!

The writing is witty, it feels light and fast, and there is great representation. This is a sequel, but everything needed seemed well introduced at the beginning. I stopped reading at 12%, and if it continues as it has, definitely an easy three stars for our fantasy readers, and 4-5 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

This was a fun one.

I really liked the relationship between Isadora and Rowan. I liked that it went from enemies to more and how the long running perceptions they have of each other’s families came to impact their relationship.

I really liked the mystery that they had to work to sold. And I really loved the nods to crime procedurals, especially NCIS (my personal favorite too).

I like how this series shows the witches in modern times and how they balance the expectations/obligations to the families and their own interests.

Definitely recommend.

I was really excited about this romance because I've recently dived into romance whole heartedly this year. I've read titles like The Hex Ex and Payback's a Witch, so From Bad to Worse sounded right up my alley!

Now I don't know if it's because of my previous two witchy reads that I feel this way, but I was not a fan of this book. Yes, it has fun writing like the first book, but my mind just kept comparing it relentlessly to the previous two witchy romances I've read. Nothing about From Bad to Cursed stood out to me sadly, and I never fully cared about Isidora or Rowan, which is the number one reason I read romances. Their enemies to lovers plot didn't even reinvigorate my interest.

Maybe it was partly because Thistle Grove felt different than before that I felt so disconnected? The atmosphere was lackluster and less immersive than Talia's book, but I think that partly had to do with the weaker plot in this installment. At first, I was intrigued about Rowan's cursed family, but at the half way point, I just wanted to fully focus on the romance because the plot wasn't interesting enough. I didn't care a lick. A cursed Avramov family would've been better because I already cared about them, and it didn't help how the Thorn family treated the Avramov's.

Overall, I think this was just a case of not feeling for these characters as much as the previous book. I'm still really excited for the third installment, and I'm hoping it's more my taste than this one.

Harper's sequel of Payback's a Witch brought us back to Thistle Grove and our leading magic families. I love that the romance in this book was set up in her first title and the transition was done perfectly. I felt like I never left Thistle Grove in the first place!

Issa Avramov's family specialize in necromantic magic. When a town festival is interrupted by a dark curse, the Avramov's are the obvious suspects. Not believing it, Issa and her arch-nemesis Rowan Thorne - wildlife hero and nature magic practitioner - team up to discover who cast the spell.

This was a hilarious rom-com with a magical twist. Issa is unappologetic about her heritage and Rowan is as unbending as the trees in his family's orchard. Both will need to set aside some assumptions to figure out what is going on in the magical town of Thistle Grove. I look forward to the next in the series.

While I fully expected to fall in love with this rivals to lovers romance, it ended up being the lowest on my list of faves. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it at all! I just ended up loving the character growth of Issa and the world building the most. In From Bad to Cursed, we are treated to more context to the feud in the town. It's a huge element from the first, but here we are given a bit more time to absorb the tension and hatred. There's plenty of action as Rowan and Issa become investigative partners.

But I especially enjoyed how From Bad to Cursed gives even more depth to the first book. Understanding the town and the depths of the conflict provides even more insight into the tensions in this book. Watching how the actions developed and their town traditions has to be my favorite element. At the same time, I enjoyed witnessing Issa have to figure out how to navigate her own future. To balance the family pressure she feels with her own dreams.

A cute witchy romance. I think it would've kept my interest a bit more had I read the first book. As it was, I felt like I'd just been dropped into a town mid-story. I liked the witch lore aspect, even though it sometimes felt a little over done for the relatively simple scope of its genre. Would definitely recommend as a fun fall or Halloween read.

I'm quickly becoming a fan of Lana Harper books.

This was a fun trip through the witchy paranormal. Some serious spells are being thrown about, when something terrible occurs. Enemies have to work together to figure out who is trying to kill witches, and how they will stop them. Of course, Issa and Rowan can't hold back the attraction they have for each other, and the inevitable happens.

This was a spicy wonderful ride through love and mystery. I really loved the pacing and the paranormal lore that was used throughout the story. Another great story by Lana Harper.