Gwyn is perfectly content with running her witchcraft shop with her talking cat Mr. Purrcival, when Wells blows into town disrupting her life and opening a high end witchcraft shop directly across the street. One day when they are in his store room, a love potion falls off the shelf onto them and the two share a steamy kiss. Now Gwyn is steadily losing her magic. Was the kiss they shared actually a curse?

This book is the perfect Halloween rom-com. Gwyn is a firey and fun loving character, while Wells is a buttoned up grouch. These two are the perfect grumpy sunshine couple. Add in her three mentees who Gwyn lovingly calls her 'baby witches' and a talking cat who pretty much only asks for treats, and you have an incredibly fun but very steamy romance. With romance and a few mysteries thrown in surrounding a new coven in town, and anybody looking for a light-hearted Halloween read will find this one to be delightful.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This was wonderful and I think I liked it more than THE EX HEX! I loved Gwyn so much and Wells was stern and grump so obviously he was *swooooony*. The fall, spooky, witchy, rom-com vibes were immaculate! Think Gilmore Girls but witchy. Save this for a cozy day cuddle up by the fire. You won't be disappointed!

Out tomorrow - 9/20. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for this advanced copy!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: September 20, 2022

This is so gratuitously fun—just in time for spooky season! A follow up to The Ex Hex (which I somehow missed reading when the rest of the world was, so it’s definitely not required to enjoy this one!) this has all the sexy witchy vibes you could want! Great banter, fun characters…and a talking cat! A nostalgic nod to some of our favs—definitely pick this up for a great October read!

Gwen has disliked Llewellyn "Wells" Penhallow since their days at magic school together, and now that dislike has turned to utter loathing when he couldn't even be bothered to come to her cousin Vivi's wedding to his brother. But now, he's coming to Graves Glen to stay, mocking everything important to her: her beloved shop, Something Wicked, her talking cat Purrcival, even the"baby witches" she's been mentoring. And it's the last straw when he opens a rival shop across the street and a magical item somehow ends up in the hands of a human. The confrontation is epic, only ending when they accidentally get hit by a love spell... and suddenly can't keep their hands off each other. Gwen has been left in charge of the town's magic while Vivi is away on honeymoon, but when a powerful band of witches come to town for the festival and Gwen mysteriously starts to lose her magic, she and Wells must work together to figure out why before it's too late.
I think I liked this book even better than the first. Gwen is so quirky and fun and her shop sounds like a place I'd love to go to hang out. Wells is seemingly stuffy and uptight, but that just masks the awkward and shy character underneath. Their personalities just clicked and I loved the teasing banter between them. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Kiss Curse is sequel story following the cousin of the main character, Gwyn. If you fell in love with the first Penhallow, buckle up for round two! This novel was a autumnal treat and a perfect follow up to The Ex Hex! This was such a fast read for me that I did not want to put down.

Hoping that maybe there could be a future story for the third Penhallow - Bowen in the future!

I liked the Ex Hex, but I *loved* the Kiss Curse!

We return to Graves Glen, a true "Halloween Town" and the Jones family. We met Gwyn Jones in the Ex Hex, but now we get her story. She's part of the Jones Family's coven whose magic fuels the town. She runs a witchy gift shop called Something Wicked, mentors some of the town's "baby witches," spends time with her cat, and one of my favorite characters, Sir Purrcival, and seems content with life.

Then in walks Llewellyn Penhallow, AKA Wells, her nemesis, and her life gets turned a bit upside down. Wells has returned Graves Glen to restablish the Penhallow connection with Graves Glen and to start a new life, away from his domineering father. Wells opens his own magic shop across the street from Something Wicked and Gwyn is fired up about it. She confonts him, which results in a steamy - and Gwyn thinks magic inspired - kiss, which has them both rethinking their rivalry, although neither will admit it.

The reappearance of Morgan, a witch and former classmate of Gwyn who was removed from the college for unknown reasons, and some of her coven to town causes quite a stir. And then Gwyn starts to have issues with her magic. Wells and Gwyn team up to figure out what is going on and things really heat up then.

I enjoyed seeing Vivi and Rhys again. The brother banter between Rhys and Wells was great.

Gwyn is witty and snarky and quirky with her color streaked hair and big personality. Wells is serious and proper and reserved with his waist coats and old fashioned sayings. When the sparks fly, I was here for it! Their banter was superb and everything I wish for in an enemies to lovers storyline. The chemistry between them is undeniable and even gets steamy at times (hello, back of the pickup truck!).

If you're looking for a fun, not so serious Halloween read, this is it. From the main charcters to the baby witches to the talking cat, Sir Purrcival, who uses the occasional swear word, to the romance, and the magical mystery elements, I loved every minute of this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have mixed feelings regarding this book. I loved the first book in the series, so I had high expectations for this book. And yet, I felt disappointed after finishing this book.

The Kiss Curse was not the same as the first book. I felt like it tried so hard to fit everyone's expectations. I found myself puzzled that the main female character is paired with a male character. I knew Gwyn was bisexual, but I found her more with females than with males. And I was shocked that she was going to be paired with Wells. I don’t find them as a couple. And there was no attraction or chemistry with them as well. It was a no for me.

My review was published in the September 2022 issue of Booklist.

"As Gwyn and Wells’ relationship sizzles, Sir Purrcival, Gwyn’s talking cat, steals the show with wry wit"

"This glittery romance featuring the cousin and brother of Vivi and Rhys from The Ex Hex (2021) is truly a delight."

The Kiss Curse was a great witchy romance to get me in the mood for spooky season! In this spiritual sequel to The Ex Hex, Gwyn and Wells are competing for best witch-adjacent store in the weeks leading up to Halloween. They can't stand each other, but also can't deny the chemistry that is crackling between them.

If you're looking for a feel-good, light-hearted witchy romance I think you'll love this book! The plot wasn't as cohesive as The Ex Hex was for me, but it had great banter and I loved Gwyn and Wells together.

I enjoyed this first book in the series, but I loved this one even more! Gwyn and Wells really stole my heart! I loved that they initially didn’t even like each other, especially Gwyn, but that slowly they got to know each other and fall in love. The mystery of why Gwyn was losing her magic was interesting, although the payoff at the end felt lacking and a bit anticlimactic. Other than that I really enjoyed this!

Thank you to Avon Books for the advanced reading copy of The Kiss Curse, receipt of which does not impact my review.

"And when her eyes briefly met his, her cheeks dimpling with a go F yourself smile, Wells realized he had never been more attracted to any woman more in his life."

The Kiss Curse follows two witches as they compete in business, fight their mutual attraction, and try to figure out who is attempting to sabotage one of them in the second book of the Ex Hex series. Gwyn Jones and Wells Penhallow were such great characters, and Sir Purrcival and Gwyn's witches in training (aka her Baby Witches) made the book even better! I read The Ex Hex last year and enjoyed it, but liked The Kiss Curse even more! It had everything I needed in a witchy romance - an independent, bold female lead, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, great side characters, magic, and mystery.

I really enjoyed The Ex Hex and was excited to see a follow-up featuring Vivi's cousin, Gwyn! Gwyn and Wells had undeniable chemistry and a spark and made for a fun, cozy enemies-to-lovers read for fall and spooky season. The Baby Witches were hilarious as well as Gwyn's talking cat Sir Purrcival. I also really enjoyed seeing Vivi and Rhys on the pages again. This was a fun start to my fall and spooky season reads!

This book truly felt like cuddling under a cozy blanket, drinking a warm cider and smelling the crisp cool air.

It's the epidemy of fall.

Erin Sterling, you've officially helped me get in the fall spirit! The Ex Hex and this sequel are the perfect romance novels to hit you with all the warm fuzzy that are Autumn. There's cider, witchy-hijinks, warlocks, magic, crystals, tarot cards and everything that you could want from an adorably cozy small town Halloween festival. It gives all the Hallmark romance swoon with a dash of whimsy of Halloween Town.

Erin Sterling's witchy world she created is my favorite place to escape to. I love how cozy I felt reading about Gwen and Vivi's adventure's in Graves Glen. Her writing is witty and fun. There are endless amounts of times I caught myself laughing out loud while reading. The way her romance novels make me feel are what I am constantly searching for in books.

The Ex Hex and The Kiss Curse are more than just romances between stunningly beautiful witches and handsome sorcerers. It has a added flare of cozy mystery surround Graves Glen. The magic surrounding the town is extremely powerful and you never know who is going to show up to abuse it for evil. This book continued the story behind the Penhallow families connection to Graves Glen's magic and what other witches & creatures surround the town.

These books are for my reading buddies who are scared of horror but want to get into the spooky season mood. Erin Sterling's writing immediately pulls you into all the fall vibes without the things that go bump in the night.

Romance, fantasy and mystery...oh my!

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager and Erin Sterling for the advanced reader copy of this novel and shout out to Libro.fm for always being my go to source to listen to audiobooks.

I loved reading alongside Shannon McManus's narration and highly suggest checking out any form of this book. It's an absolute delight!

The Kiss Curse is a super cute, fun Halloween read. I think it’s a great book to kick off fall and put you in the Halloween spirit. I picture Stars Hallow but with magic. The characters are fun and I love the talking cat!
However, while I know this book isn’t realistic, it’s still a bit far fetched. There were a few parts I had a hard time getting in to. But overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone looking for a light, funny, cute Halloween read!

I absolutely loved this book! The Ex Hex was such a fun spooky season book last fall, and when The Kiss Curse came out, I knew I had to read it, I loved being transported back to Graves Glen and following Gwyn and her hilarious antics. The Baby Witches cracked me up and of course Sir Purrcival was the star of the show as he was in the Ex Hex! The chemistry and banter between Wells and Gwyn was SO good!! I'll be adding the physical copy to my library soon!!

✨ The Kiss Curse ✨

A delightful spooky season romcom! Gwyn and Wells weave a fun and flirty enemies to lovers tale, with a side of witchy endeavors. I loved their story, their chemistry and their Baby Witches.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
✨ Spooky Season, Halloweentown vibes
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Small town charm meets Welsh magic
✨ A talking cat named Sir Purrcival

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for this ARC! The Kiss Curse is on shelves September 20th!

I’m always down for a book with spooky autumn vibes, especially if you throw in a little romance, and The Kiss Curse fits that description! The Ex Hex is the first book in the series, but these books by Erin Sterling could be read as standalones. I thought The Ex Hex was a cute romcom with a fall atmosphere I could almost taste. The Kiss Curse has that same feeling. The story follows a witch, Gywn Jones, the cousin of Vivi Jones from The Ex Hex, as she is challenged by the return to the town of Wells Penhallow. He is the prim and proper to her quirky and sassy. Wells returns to town and establishes a competing shop right across the street from Gywn’s Something Wicked. This book is a fun and spooky romance sparked by tension that is taut from the beginning and slowly evolves as they are faced with a challenge from a new coven. This book is the perfect start to the spooky fall season with just the right amount of romance and mystery.

After reading The Ex Hex immediately before this one I was so excited at the continuation of the families and the town of Graves Glen. Unfortunately it was just a boring rehash of The Ex Hex with only slightly different characters. The magical element wasn’t as strong in the story and I didn’t feel and actual connection or real feelings between the main characters and I just wanted to go back to The Ex Hex.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the chance to give my honest opinion in exchange for this arc.

Here’s another great spooky season read! I wasn’t a huge fan of The Ex Hex but nevertheless requested the ARC of the sequel. It releases on Tuesday, so I needed to tackle it this weekend. And, let me tell you, I couldn’t put it down! It’s hilarious with the perfect mix of banter, spice, and witchy things. I have so many highlights in my ebook but since it’s an uncorrected proof, I can’t post them. But, I plan to get this in print to sit on my shelf next to The Ex Hex, so maybe I’ll update this post later! Highly recommend if you’re looking for a rom com with a strong sense of “witchy” season!

Rating 4.5/5
Pub date: 9/20/2022

This was a fun follow up to The Ex Hex though it didn't have the same Halloweeny atmosphere (as this is set during early Fall, and not the spooky season). I'm still head over witch hat for Erin Sterling's writing.