I loved this book. I thought it was fun and sexy. This witchy read was a great way to kick off the spooky season. Gwyn and Wells enemy to lovers relationship is great and I love their chemistry. A delightful read, hoping to see more in the series.

5⭐️

This book focuses more on Gwyn than the first one, which is great because I desperately needed more of her. Gwyn's cousin Vivi and her husband Rhys are about to go on their honeymoon, and Gwyn's mother Elaine is out of town visiting friends, leaving Gwyn to run their shop, Something Wicked, and oversee the Town of Graves Glen. Rhys’s brother, Wells, decides to return to Graves Glen and opens a higher-end magical shop across from Gwyn’s. The two begin a rivalry and compete for customers. When Gwyn discovers that Wells accidentally sold a magical artifact to a human, she goes to his shop to gloat.

When they try to find the shipment containing the magical items, a love spell spills on top of their heads, and they find themselves entwined in a passionate kiss. But can a love spell really make you kiss the person you believe to be your enemy? Meanwhile, a darker magic is at play when a Penhaven alumni returns to the town and Gwyn finds her magic dwindling. It’s up to Gwyn and Wells to get to the bottom of it for the sake of the town.

This is a great book to get you in the mood for spooky season. The whole vibe of it just feels like Halloweentown and I love it. It’s so much fun to read!

<b> “And if I wanted to call you mine?” she asked, her voice low, and Wells’s grip tightened on her hand.

“I’ll be that until I die.”</b>

I loved this story. Erin's writing is so well done. I loved the magic and the continuation of the little town of Graves Glen. The enemies to lovers trope was done perfectly and I loved the twists at the end.

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling is a paranormal romance and the second book in The Ex Hex series. The ebook version is 320 pages. We follow our two main characters with alternating points-of-view.

Gwyn Jones runs the witchcraft shop, Something Wicked, in her hometown of Graves Glen with her mom and cousin. On top of that, she's started to mentor some of the younger witches in town. Halloween is coming, and there's a lot to do! Enter Llewellyn "Wells" Penhallow, who's come back to town to re-establish his family's connection to the town they founded. To make himself at home, he opens up his own shop, Penhallow's, across the street from Gwyn's. When mysterious witches come to town and Gwyn's powers begin to fade, they must put aside their professional competition to figure out what's going on.

This was really charming! I was a fan of the first book in the series, and the second did not disappoint! I ended up reading basically the entire second half of this book in one sitting; I was so engrossed.

Sir Purrcival is still my favorite, probably because he reminds me of a mixture of several of my own cats.

Tropes in this book include: enemies to lovers, queer main character (not specified, but likely bisexual or pansexual), queer side characters, nonbinary side character

CW: abduction

The publisher provided an eBook ARC of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Just in time for another spooky season, Erin Sterling delivers to rom-com fans everywhere The Kiss Curse. This cute, laugh out loud romance is the follow up to the equally as fun, The Ex Hex. In The Kiss Curse we follow Gwyn Jones, the colorful haired shopkeeper and cousin to the previous novel's heroine Vivi, as she sets out to survive another tourist filled October. Only, this year her arch nemesis Wells has returned to Graves Glen and he's got a plan to re-establish the Penhallow name as the best and biggest in Graves Glen witch history. Of course, it wouldn't be a romcom with some messiness and Sterling delivers with silly shop antics, love potions, and meddling witches who would do anything to hold the power. While Gwyn and Wells are distracted, some witches take advantage and get up to no good, putting both Graves Glen and Gwyn's own magic in danger.

The Kiss Curse was truly a fun, magical read. Gwyn was a treat to read about in the previous novel, so I was overjoyed to get her full story. As the spunky member of the Jones family, Gwyn has embraced that selling fake witchy goods to tourists is the best she can do in protecting her family and the town's true magical legacy. Of course, what tourists don't know won't hurt them, or at least that's what Wells Penhallow thinks when he opens his own store selling goods without magic in the front and with magic behind closed doors. Things go awry though, like they always do, and readers are treated to the two pairing up and saving the day, all while throwing snark and lust-filled looks at one another. Just like in The Ex Hex, I fell for the Penhallow brother alongside Gwyn, especially as his debonair attitude went out the window. Sterling takes it a step further though, taking the silly, romantic read and throwing in a dash of angst and a heaping spoonful of drama, with the characters truly having to save the day, again.

While readers know Rachel Hawkins for her dramatic, twisted thrillers, her alter ego Erin Sterling gives romance fans the spooky, magical, fun love story their hearts desire. The Kiss Curse is another excellent novel in The Ex Hex series and is one that will delight readers. I need these to be a show or a movie, stat.

This is book two of The Ex Hex by can be read as a standalone. I actually liked this one better than the first book.

This time around we see the magical chemistry between Gwen and Wells. It’s a fun enemies to lovers/ opposite attract witchy read where Gwen is the fun and cool bisexual witch and Wells is prim and proper. They both run competitive shops in Graves Glen, and they’re always bickering with each other. The two join forces when Gwen’s magic disappears.

This is the perfect spooky season read for those that aren’t into scary books. It’s a charming read with fun side characters (specifically Gwen’s “Baby Witches”) and romance filled with some great banter and some spicy scenes. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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.