So cute and funny and smart and cozy, an intensely enjoyable sequel with so much heart and sense of place and character.

Gwyn Jones runs a successful shop in her witchy hometown of Graves Glen. So when Wells Penhallow arrives back in town after a long absence and opens a rival shop, Gwyn is ready for battle. But hate turns to love as these two powerful witches join forces to take on a bigger threat to Graves Glen.

This adorable book is a sequel to The Ex Hex, and it delivered exactly what I was expecting: a cute, funny, passionate romance with a Halloween theme.

The author excels at creating realistic characters. The dialogue is witty and flirty, and so feel like I’d truly want to hang out with these people. I loved the Baby Witches (I could see another sequel focused on them).

But as strong as the characters were, it felt like the conflict/plot didn’t really get going until nearly the end of the book. Luckily the characters were likable enough to carry the story, but the pacing was a bit off to me.

Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Check out this book if you’re looking for the book version of a cute Halloween romcom!

This series is the perfect series to read in October. It's not the best book ever but it gets you in a good spooky season spirit. I liked this book better than the first. This one was more fun and had more romance and humor. It is like a spicy cozy Hallmark movie.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Fierce and sassy Gwyn Jones is running her family shop solo this tourist season. She's got this. Can handle it. 100%. Until Wells Pennhaven swoops in and opens up shop next door. Literally. Ugh. To top it off, her magic is cutting in and out and being wonky. Vibe check: failed.
What I loved: (achem, all of it)
🔥Instant chemistry
🔥Enemies to lovers
🔥Forced proximity
🔥🔥🔥 Steamy scenes. Yes ma'am. 🥵🥵
🔥Witchy but not overly magicked

4.5⭐ obvi. Loved it. Thank you @netgalley @erinsterlingbooks and @harpercollins for the ARC! Available everywhere now!

What a delight! I loved the first book in this series but honestly this one is even better. Gwyn is sassy and sharp and flawed in incredibly relatable ways. Wells is sever and sad and just trying his best. It's an ultimate mix of Grumpy-Sunshine, Love-Hate with a mix of talking cats and magic chaos. I love how in these fantasy novels the 'hiccup' in the romance can be true villainy, and the resolutions can involve ultimate battles. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book a little bit more than the first in the series. That could be because I already knew all the background so there was less character introduction? Whatever it was, it was a fun read, definitely the right time of year to be published.

Sir Purrcival is back and BETTER than ever. I love that cat, seriously. Everyone should have one.

Will continue to read more from this author.

Vivi's cousin Gwyn meets her match in this book and it's Rhys's brother Lwellyn, better known as Wells. He is the oldest brother, the Golden Child of their father's eye. But being the Golden Child is wearing on him and he is ready to escape. Why not to Graves Glen? It's a place he can convince his father that it would be good to have a Penhallow (obviously Rhys doesn't count since he married a Jones woman) and it's not like the pub in Scotland is even getting any customers.
In Graves Glen, Wells first finds a bachelorette party in his family home (invited there by his brother.) Then he engages in a not-so-friendly rivalry with Gwyn when he sets up a true witch shop (as opposed to her... plastic pumpkins) right across the street, and he also encounters a face from the past who may or not be evil.
This was, overall, an enjoyable story though it meandered and crossed over itself without seeming rhyme or reason. I never really did understand why Gwyn and Rhys would be drawn to each other but, for folks looking to get into the Halloween season, this is a great read.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out September 20, 2022
Follows The Ex Hex
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyage and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The second book in the series, and this one was just as cute. A fun romcom filled with witchy problems – so perfect for the season.

I honestly loved the character development for Wells. Even throughout the first book he was presented as this snotty, uptight guy whom I had no desire to ever meet or read about. But that changed in this book. Not only did he get out from under his dad’s thumb for awhile, but he came to realizations on his own and had to rethink who he could trust and who mattered most in his life. I truly enjoyed reading his character arc.

Beyond just this, this was a fun enemies to lovers, professional rivals, forced proximity, undeniable chemistry kind of book. It also had a dose of found family in it, which I loved thoroughly for all involved.

My only problem with this book is that there was a cute flashback element that was hinted at repeatedly, but never gained closure. It would have been the PERFECT way to wrap up the story, or even something that could have been revealed to characters before the end, but it never was. It was the dramatic irony that shall forever remain with the secret keeper and the readers – and this bummed me out a bit.

3.5 stars
The second book in the Ex Hex series the Kiss Curse picks up pretty much where the Ex Hex ends. Rhys and Vivi are living happily ever after and Vivi's cousin Gwyn is running her shop Something Wicked. All seems peaceful in Graves Glen until Rhys's brother Wells shows up. Of course he and Gwyn hate each other and of course their chemistry is off the charts. Despite their mutual dislike and their competing businesses the two are forced to team up when new witches appear and things start going sideways magic wise.

This book is so cute and Gwyn and Well's relationship evolves from mutual dislike into eventual love. The spicy scenes are great and a sex-magic fake-out made me laugh out loud. However, this did not feel all that different from the first book and it followed a very similar pattern. While I liked the relationship between Wells and Gwyn I also think this book could have worked really well as wlw romance. Gwyn has had relationships with women in the past and since the storyline is pretty similar to the Ex Hex it could have been very interesting.

Overall I really did enjoy the Kiss Curse and am looking forward to Bowen's story and I really hope Gwyn's baby witch apprentices return. This is a great fall read and I recommend reading it while curled up with some hot chocolate or apple cider (atmospheric weather is optional but highly recommended).

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this arc. All opinions are my own

After Erin Sterling’s witchy, Halloween-themed rom-com The Ex Hex cast a spell on me — el oh el — last fall, there was no way I was missing out on the sequel, The Kiss Curse. Although it’s still set in Graves Glen, and the original main characters Vivi and Rhys make plenty of appearances, this time around the story focuses on Vivi’s cousin Gwyn Jones and Rhys’s brother Llewellyn "Wells" Penhallow. (And Gwyn’s talking cat, Sir Purrcival. Obviously.)

After the previous year’s dramatics involving centuries-old grudges, hexes, a historic loss of magical power, and everything else that went haywire when the Penhallow family presence once again made itself known in Vivi and Gwyn’s small Georgia town, things are finally starting to settle down. Gwyn, owner of the successful witchcraft shop Something Wicked, is perfectly happy with the state of her life: the coven she started with Vivi and her mom is still going strong; she’s started mentoring a group of “baby witches” in town; and she’s officially over her ex, Graves Glen’s mayor.

But her solid, comfortable life is shaken up when Rhys’s brother decides to re-establish his family's connection to the town they founded as well as to make a new life for himself after years of playing the part of dutiful son in Wales. And for Wells, that also means opening up a witchcraft shop of his own, Penhallow’s, that just so happens to be across the street from Something Wicked. It’s not long before a magical enemies-to-lovers rivalry that dreams are made of kicks off, and the tension (and CHEMISTRY, hot damn) starts coiling between them.

And then — dun, dun, DUNNNN — Gwyn’s immense set of powers starts flickering in and out like an old light bulb. And then — dun, dun, DUNNNN-ER — an old college pal appears out of the blue, and something is clearly Not Right™️ with her. And then — dun, dun, DUNNNN-ER-ER — Wells and Gwyn have to join forces to get to the bottom of everything, which could end up costing one of them their lives.

Just an average October in Graves Glen, y’know?

I really enjoyed this one. It’s a ton of fun, and an excellent book to read as the leaves start changing and all the spooky decorations start going up. There’s plenty of twisty intrigue regarding Gwyn’s mysterious loss of powers, as well as the undoubtedly rancid vibes coming off of Glen Graves’ newest resident, who Gwyn (and Wells) attended college with. Personally I found both of those side-stories more compelling than the big mystery at the core of The Ex Hex. Also, likely because I go feral at the mere whisper of an enemies-to-lovers trope, I thought Wells and Gwyn’s love story burned far, far hotter compared to the spark between Rhys and Vivi. They’re super cute.

But anyway, if you have more questions about The Kiss Curse, hopefully I can answer them for you below:

1. Do I need to read ‘The Ex Hex’ to understand ‘The Kiss Curse’? Not necessarily, but I think you might be a fair bit lost on the important background stuff if you don’t! I.e. the dramatic history of the town, Vivi and Gwyn’s bond, Rhys and Wells’s strained relationship with their father, etc. It’s not one hundred percent a standalone novel, in my opinion.

2. Is there a cutesy animal sidekick in ‘The Kiss Curse’? As a matter of fact, there is: Sir Purrcival, Gwyn’s talking cat, returns to the story and is somewhat more bearable than most rom-com pets. (I personally hate that trope/theme/whatever you want to call it.) The group of young witches mentored by Gwyn in the story were far more annoying if I’m being honest 🙃

3. Just how spicy is ‘The Kiss Curse’? Hmm . . . I would rate it three out of five crystal balls. 🔮 I can’t quite remember every bit about The Ex Hex because it’s been so long since I read it, but this one seemed spicier, at least! There are quite a few ~intimate~ moments between Gwyn and Wells, from a basement make-out, to a hot ‘n heavy truck bed scene, to a . . . well, I’ll let you find those yourself, wink wink.

4. Which brother is hotter: Rhys Penhallow or Wells Penhallow? Team Wells all day.



Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a delightful sequel to #TheExHex ! Gwyn is happy with her life running Something Wicked and helping train “the baby witches”. That is until Wells comes to town.
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Wells goes head to head against Gwyn when he opens a store of his own directly across the street from Something Wicked and he bites off more than he can chew. When their chemistry takes over competition things start getting interesting, especially when a new coven comes to town. This was a fun and let me tell you the cat is the real mvp! I love this town and hope there are more books to come!
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Thank you #avon @harperaudio and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is for anyone who grew up watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch (the cute 90s version, not the scary Netflix version). There are witches, a magical town, a talking cat, and love!

Throw in a little bit of You've Got Mail (Gwyn & Wells run rival magic shops) and a dash of Practical Magic and you've got The Kiss Curse!

Much like The Ex Hex, this was a true delight to read and a perfect start to the spooky season. Gwyn and Wells had some excellent banter and their connection was truly magical.

Thanks to the publisher for an early copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Pretty much identical to the ex hex for better or for worse. I liked both of these books OK — mostly for the vibes of the Halloween town that is the setting. It's a bit cheesy and I don't like *get* the magic in this world. It made no sense for me, but I guess logic is never a huge part of romance and fantasy, lol. Still, could have maybe been explained better.

THE KISS CURSE • Erin Sterling • Pub Date: September 20, 2022 • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Friends, if you are looking for a sweet, witchy romance I have just the book for you!

NetGalley Description: The Kiss Curse is the follow-up to The Ex Hex, featuring fan favorite Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow as they battle a new band of witches and their own magical chemistry.

Listen, I am ALWAYS a on edge when I pick up a sequel. Expectations are usually high and rarely met, but here's the thing - The Ex Hex was cute, but did not really make a huge impact on me one way or another so it was pretty easy to pick this one up without much hesitation. And y'all...The Kiss Curse was better.

Reading about Gwyn was delightful. She is so spunky and not in an over-the-top cringe way, but in a fun way. Her feelings, and reactions to those feelings, for Wells were believable and *steamy*. The plot was also an exciting twist that piggy-backed well off The Ex Hex's conclusion. We also get to know some new, "baby" witches!

Overall this is definitely a fun October read to add to your TBR. It is the perfect light-hearted, ~spooky~ themed read to mix in with some thrillers.

I can't promise you earth-shattering literature, but I can promise that Erin Sterling's books are always super fun fall rom-com reads. I really enjoyed The Ex Hex last year and this years Kiss Curse was no different. They're entertaining, a little cheesy and a little spicy but they're the perfect palate cleanser after a heavy book and such a fun seasonal read. I enjoyed that we got glimpses of Vivi and Rhys' relationship and the baby witches were a great addition to this sequel. I'm excited to see what's next - hopefully a book about Bowen!

3.5/5
The Kiss Curse starts off great building its characters, however I felt that by the end I was presented with an afterthought of a story and an awkwardly paced ending. I also missed the halloween witchy fall atmosphere that was present in the first book. Despite this, I still think The Kiss Curse is a good romance book that deserves a read this fall.

THE EX HEX & THE KISS CURSE

Wow wow wow! A sequel that does the book justice can be hard to come by, but we ADORED these stories. Let’s dive into it…
#TheExHex tells the story of a heartbroken, half-hearted attempt at a curse gone terribly wrong. A 19 year old Vivi is hopelessly in love with her boyfriend Rhys Penhallow when she finds out he’s betrothed to someone else! After dumping him and mourning the loss, Vivi and her cousin Gwyn jokingly “curse” Rhys. But when he returns to their town 10 years later with magic suddenly going awry, Vivi and Rhys become unlikely companions to figure out what’s going on and return the magic to normal. While there’s nothing too surprising, it was overall a cute Halloween themed rom-com: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
#TheKissCurse follows Gwyn, which we loved - a hilarious character who deserves her time in the spotlight! Gwyn is in charge of making sure things go well over the Halloween festivities while her mother Elaine and cousin Vivi are out of town. But when Rhys’ older, snobby brother comes into town, she finds herself battling him and his arrogant ways and … her attraction to him? An enemies to lovers anyone can appreciate with the perfect amount of seasonal fun: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.

WHAT WE LOVED
+ two different character takes
+ spice and humor
+ all the spooky fall vibes!

READ IF YOU ENJOYED
+ the love hypothesis
+ book lovers
+ spanish love deception

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this arc for our honest review.

𝘙𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯, 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘸𝘺𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘹 𝘏𝘦𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘵, 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘎𝘸𝘺𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵. 🔥

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘴. 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘪𝘳 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘣𝘢𝘨?

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘺, 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴-𝘵𝘰-𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘊𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯! 🎃 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶

𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, @𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊!

I posted this review to my Bookstagram account on 9/26/22 and to Goodreads, Bookbub, and Amazon on 9/27/22.

4.5/5

Trigger Warnings: Sexual content, Cursing, Violence, Kidnapping, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, Torture

After reading The Ex Hex last year on my honeymoon and really enjoying it, I knew I had to read this book too!

I loved going back to Graves Glen (especially in the fall). The characters are so fun, quirky and I love the magical aspects. It was fun to see Vivi and Gwyn's friendship and to learn more about the Penhallow brothers. Gwyn has such a fun store called Something Wicked and her talking cat makes an appearance in this book too.

What I loved:
-Gwyn and Wells' relationship and chemistry
-the mystery and thriller-ish aspect
-the enemies to lovers
-the small town feeling

If you like Gilmore Girls, Some High School/Private School drama years later and witchy/spell books, you'd love this book!

🪄Book Review🪄
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Summary: Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin have formed a new and powerful coven; she’s running a successful witchcraft shop, Something Wicked; and she’s started mentoring some of the younger witches in town. As Halloween approaches, there’s only one problem—Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow.

Wells has come to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town they founded as well as to make a new life for himself after years of being the dutiful son in Wales. When he opens up a shop of his own, Penhallow’s, just across the street from Something Wicked, he quickly learns he’s gotten more than he bargained for in going up against Gwyn.

When their professional competition leads to a very personal—and very hot—kiss, both Wells and Gwyn are determined to stay away from each other, convinced the kiss was just a magical fluke. But when a mysterious new coven of witches come to town and Gwyn’s powers begin fading, she and Wells must work together to figure out just what these new witches want and how to restore Gwyn’s magic before it’s too late.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: thank you @avonbooks @netgalley @erinsterlingbooks for the advanced copy of the kiss curse which came out September 20th! This was the second in the ex hex series which I read and loved last fall! But this one I think I may have enjoyed even more! I actually thought Gwen and Wells were wonderful together and found myself rooting for them to end up together! Gwen was such an interesting and unique character, also I’m just obsessed with her talking cat 🥰 a really fun witchy romance perfect for spooky season! 👻
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#thekisscurse #erinsterling #theexhex #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookreviewer #bookstagram #bookish #bibliophile #booknerd #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookreader #readersofinstagram #readersofig #readmorebooks #bookobsessed #bookworm #bookwormsunite #romancebooks #romancereader #romancereadersofinstagram #romancebookstagram