Goodreads review:
The Kiss Curse was so cute and really got me in the mood for spooky season, I liked it even better than the Ex Hex! I do suggest reading The Ex Hex first because this book builds on the storyline and characters we get to meet in the first book, and focuses on Gwyn and Wells, Rhys's brother.

Synopsis: After the events in The Ex Hex, Vivi and Gwyn's family magic is now running through the town of Graves Glen and everything seems good and peaceful, with Gwyn running her witchy shop and mentoring a group of witch students from the college. Little do they know, trouble is brewing over in Wales. Wells, one of Rhys's brothers, is tired of running the family's lackluster pub and their father agrees that he can leaves Wales to return to Graves Glen, where he attended college, to reestablish the family's connection to the town. Upon his arrival, Wells instantly rubs Gwyn the wrong way. She remembers him from an incident back in college, and then he makes her even more mad when he sets up a competing shop across the street from hers.

The two are complete opposites - Gwyn is colorful and cheerful and Wells is a bit posh and uppity, and they are soon waging war on each other until they unexpectedly kiss in the heat of the moment. Though they are determined to write it off as the result of a love spell, when new witches show up and strange things start happening in the town while Vivi and Rhys are traveling, Gwyn and Wells must team up to investigate and figure out what exactly is going on in their town. Working together brings them closer and soon their attraction is harder to deny.

Review: I am a sucker for a grumpy x sunshine story and for anything fall/Halloween related, so this book was right up my alley! I loved the antics that Gwyn and Wells get into when they're competing and dislike each other. The storyline is fun and kept me invested, the magic and mystery were both great and made the book unique. There are GREAT supporting characters like the baby witches that Gwyn is mentoring, and the return of the talking cat Sir Purrcival who is absolutely hilarious!

The book has a few open door steamy scenes that were super well written and HOT! The dual perspective was great for getting all the feels from both Gwyn and Wells as they start to fall for each other, I love it when the guy falls first and he falls hard! They had such good chemistry and back and forth, there is great banter in this one.

Overall this is a fun, unique, romantic read that is perfect to get you ready for fall! The Kiss Curse will be out on September 20, 2022. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC is exchange for my honest review.

Instagram post:
The Kiss Curse was so cute and got me in the mood for spooky season, I liked it even better than the book before it, The Ex Hex!

Book 📚: The Kiss Curse by @erinsterlingbooks
Genre 💖: Contemporary Romance
Rating ⭐️: 4/5
Spice 🌶️: some steamy open door scenes!

Synopsis: After the events in The Ex Hex, things in Graves Glen seem peaceful for Vivi and Gwyn. But over in Wales, Rhys’s brother Wells is tired of running the family’s pub and their father agrees that he can go to Graves Glen to re-establish the family’s connection to the town.

Upon his arrival, he instantly rubs Gwyn the wrong way. She remembers him from an incident back in college, then he makes her even more mad when he sets up a competing shop across the street from hers.

The two are opposites and are soon waging war on each other, until they unexpectedly kiss in the heat of the moment. Though they are determined to write it off, when new witches show up and strange things start happening in the town while Vivi and Rhys are traveling, Gwyn and Wells must team up to investigate, making their attraction harder to ignore.

Review: I am a sucker for a grumpy x sunshine story and for anything fall/Halloween related, so this book was right up my alley! I loved the antics that Gwyn and Wells got into. The storyline was fun, the magic and mystery were both great. There are awesome supporting characters and the talking cat Sir Purrcival is of course a favorite!

The open door steamy scenes are hot and I think the dual perspective was great for getting all the feels.

This is the perfect romance for fall! Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the ARC! This book is out on September 20!

A witchy taurus woman meets grumpy, brooding man, what more could you need?

I was so fortunate to receive an arc of this book (thanks netgalley) especially since I loved the ex hex. Erin definitely delivers again with this one.

This kiss curse was the perfect fall rom com with just the right amount of romance, plot, and sir purrcival. I really enjoyed this book and Gwyns character. I loved her in the ex hex and getting to know her even more in this book, I’m obsessed.

10/10 would recommend you pick up this book this October for spooky season🎃

Read if you like: Enemies to lovers, witchy vibes, bisexual MC, strong family bonds, grumpy sunshine, steamy 🔥

🧹🧙‍♀️ Time for Spooky Season! 🧙‍♀️🪄

This is the follow-up to The Ex Hex. It features Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow. 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. She's even started mentoring some of the younger witches in town.

As Halloween approaches, there’s only one problem which is Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow coming into town and opening his own witchy shop right by hers. Wells has come to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town they founded.

When their professional competition leads to a very hot kiss, both Wells and Gwyn are determined to stay away from each other. However, a mysterious new coven of witches come to town and Gwyn’s powers begin fading, she and Wells must work together.

Dare I say I enjoyed this one even more than The Ex Hex. This was funnier and more entertaining. I LOVE an enemies to lovers. This one was well done! The banter is so good. Wells is perfectly grumpy and hot. 🔥 This one is a little steamy unlike the first. My only issue is I was hoping that Gwyn would be with a woman since she is bi but I still loved it. Highly recommend you pick this one up!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and Avon/Harper Voyager for the gifted ebook. ❤️

#thekisscurse

Oh my witchy loving heart. The Kiss Curse is the follow-up to The Ex Hex. It’s the perfect Halloweentown filled with magic, witches, a talking cat and love.

This time around we get Gwen and Wells love story. Gwen and Wells do NOT like each other. And when Wells moves back to Graves Glen and opens up a competing witchy store, Gwen is not happy. But their paths keep crossing.

Definitely recommend for lovers of romance and Halloween!

Gwyn pretty much runs her family’s shop on her own, especially now that her cousin, Vivi, married Rhys Penhallow. No one suspected they would end up together when he came to town to recharge the magical ley line, but here they are two years later. Gywn running the shop and mentoring a trio of young witches?! How things have changed.

Wells Penhallow, Rhys’ older brother, has been stuck in Wales running the family pub for years. He’s miserable and ready to get out and do his own thing. So when his father suggests he do that, Wells heads back to Graves Glen to open a shop of his own. He hasn’t been in the Glen since college but in his eyes, it looks like same cozy town he left.

Gwyn & Wells definitely don’t hit it off, especially since he doesn’t remember her and a particularly “explosive” incident that happened back in college. But when an accidental kiss happens and a mysterious coven of witches shows up in town, they’ll have to team up to figure out what is happening.

This enemies to lovers story is a fast-faced, perfect spooky season read. I loved this book even more than the first!

Oh, this was just a lot of fun! If you’re anything like me, sometimes you can sit down and just inhale a romance book. If I didn’t have a toddler, that would have been me with The Kiss Curse. Despite having a toddler, this book went very quickly.

The Kiss Curse brings us back to the delightful witchy town of Graves Glen, and to the absolutely hilarious Jones family. Well — really just Gwyn, and very tiny glimpses of Vivi, the heroine from the first book, The Ex Hex. Vivi and her new husband, Rhys, go away on a honeymoon, and leave Gwyn alone to run their shop. I did miss their presence on page, but as they already had their book, this was probably the best decision possible. This really gave Gwyn and Wells a chance to shine, and dang did their personalities just jump off the page.

Gwyn is a hilarious, very powerful witch, and I loved her so much. Wells is a little more stick-in-the-mud traditionalist when it comes to magic, but he very quickly loosens up. To be honest, Gwyn all but forces him to let go a little. Together, their chemistry was basically fire. They hate each other at the start of the book, but by the middle, they’re basically climbing each other. It’s fantastic. Not to mention the one real sex scene was incredibly steamy, so thumbs up to Erin Sterling, there.

The background plot of the book was interesting, but not as interesting as Gwyn and Wells together. Basically, something is causing Gwyn’s magic to go haywire, and no one is quite sure what it is. Basically, it’s similar to the plot of the first book without being an exact copy. I wish their had been a little more variation, but whatever. I wasn’t really here for that. I wanted more Gwyn and Wells.

Oh and — Sir Purrcival is definitely still on page, and he’s definitely still talking, so I was extremely happy.

Four and half stars for pure enjoyment’s sake.

The Kiss Curse was exactly what I was expecting it to be, a sweet little companion novel to The Ex Hex. In this book, we are welcomed back to the town of Graves Glen. This book focuses on Gwyn, Vivi's cousin, who runs Something Wicked - a tourist shop in town. Enter Wells Penhallow (of the elusive Penhallow witch family) who opens a competing store across the street. Gwyn and Wells team up to save Graves Glen from dark magic that is afloat. A sweet, witchy romance!

Gwyn Jones is a fun spirited witch who runs a witchcraft shop in Graves Glen. Llewellyn "Wells'" Penhallow, the oldest of Simon Penhallow's sons, owns a not very successful pub in Wales. Wells decides to return to Graves Glen, after leaving mid-college, after the Penhallow magic in the town has been replaced by the Jones family. (Gwyn's family). Gwyn and Wells crossed paths back in college, which Wells does not realize, and when he opens a competing shop across the street, the friendly competition begins. When classmates from their college return, the town's magic seems to change. The unlikely duo team up to figure out what is going on in their town.

Gwyn is the cousin of Vivi, who was the main character in The Ex Hex, and Wells the older brother of Rhys. If you liked The Ex Hex, this is a fun follow-up for you. I actually likes Gwyn and Wells better than Vivi and Rhys. I do wish the ending had more of a story. It was super quick and it felt very abrupt. The last 15% of the book felt rushed and I didn't feel it made much sense to me. Overall a cute book for the fall.

Thank you to NeGalley and Avon Books for thie e-Arc. The Kiss Curse is available on 9/20!

The Kiss Curse is another cozy, witchy romance with a dash of mystery from Erin Sterling. This book follows Gwyn, the owner of a witchcraft shop when her nemesis moves back into her small town and opens a rival store. Just when she thinks this is her biggest problem, her magic starts to fade.

This book was okay. The story was cute and charming, and at times funny and surprising. I liked the tension between Gwyn and her rival, Wells. The cozy mystery around Gwyn's fading magical abilities was also enjoyable. But overall, I found myself wanting more emotional depth. I couldn't help but wish the magic system was a bit more sophisticated. This story also felt too similar to the first in the series. And Gwyn was rather immature for a heroine.

Very cute Halloween read! It’ll get you very excited for spooky season!!! Fun follow up to the Ex Hex with a bit of steam.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gwyn Jones is finding peace and harmony in a post-hexed town of Graves Glen. That is, until Wells Penhallow (of the famous Penhallows) moves back to town and sets up shop right across the street. Mysterious magical things start happening - as chemistry heats between them, the flames of her magic are slowly going out. And she fears a new coven in town is responsible.

This was a fun witchy read! Witty banter and palpable chemistry between Gwyn and Wells had me rooting from them from beginning to end. The storyline with the coven coming to town with their mysterious secrets had me intrigued, and I was pleasantly surprised at how it all turned out as I really did not see it coming! I definitely enjoyed this one more than The Ex Hex, any other cousins we can read about next?

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Full review to be posted on my IG @manis.and.manuscripts on 9/20 (pub day!)

I really enjoyed this one!! It's such a good fall read - cozy witchy story with a little bit of steam!

I really like the author's writing style. She really brings Graves Glen to life and I want nothing more than to grab a cup of coffee and stroll down the street to all the shops, especially Gwyn's. I loved the tension between Gwyn and Wells. I love a good enemies to lovers. :) And Sir Purrcival (the cat) is just purrfect!

I did enjoy the 1st one better, but this was a very good second installment! I hope we get a book 3 for the 3rd brother, Bowen!

SPOILER BELOW:

I do wish Gwyn would have disclosed to Wells that she was the girl he was remembering from years ago. I loved that he remembered her and it could have been a really great scene.

This is the second book in the series. It can be read as a stand alone, however it does help to read book one for background information. Magic runs deep in town and through its residents and students. Spells are cast on items and people. Families have control of the powers and magic. A past student returns after 10 years. Her house has heavy black magic vibes. As Gwynn loses her magic, a spell is discovered that must be reversed. The Baby Witches, really students, help to rescue Gwynn and crack the spell. Of course love interest, Wells, learns some hard truths and learns to accept love. It is a fun, cozy read. If you like a little bit of magic, then this book is for you!

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

I thought this was a very cute story to get you into the Halloween spirit. I call this genre hallmark Halloween.

I would recommend readers start with the first book in the series The Ex Hex, as there are many references to events and characters from this story.

What I liked about the book:

The small town setting was charming and gets you in the spirit for autumn and Halloween. I thought the author did a great job as describing the different places around the town.

I really enjoyed the main characters and their personalities. I found Gwyn to be a fun character to read about.

There are a few well done spicy scenes in the book.

What I did not love about the book:

I thought the events in the story lacked some depth. I found the build up and resolution of the final event between Morgan and Gwyn to be underwhelming.

Overall, I think this is a really cute sequel and would recommend reading this during the Halloween season 🐈‍⬛

I would give this 3.5 out of 4 stars

Super excited to return to Graves Glen for Gwyn & Wells! I loved Gwyn’s character in the Ex Hex and was excited to have her running the show in this sequel. The banter between these two was so much fun and the emotions felt very real from both characters from the first page. Sir Purrcival and the baby witches are excellent additions to the plot as well.

Just like Ex Hex, this book had a lot of fun and enjoyable moments but something still felt missing to me. The witchy problems took a major back seat to the romance until the very end, leaving the conclusion feeling rushed and the ending feeling abrupt. I would have loved just a little extra something from this book, but a cute & enjoyable read to get you in the mood for spooky season for sure.

4/5 ⭐️

This book was such a fun seasonal read! It’s everything I love about romcoms, with a splash of spice & fantasy witchy vibes. I really enjoyed reading this, which really was no surprise because I loved The Ex Hex as well. I loved Gwyn & Wells — their banter and relationship was really cute! I also loved the mystery aspect of the book as well and trying to figure out what was going on along side the characters. In my opinion, this is a must read for romcom lovers this fall!

I was a fan of The Ex Hex and I’m so happy to say that the sequel, The Kiss Curse did not disappoint. The witchy storyline and fight to restore some magic was engaging and fun! I loved Gwyn and Wells and the tension between them! I liked that there were more steamy moments in this one and the enemies to lovers was great. I liked that we got to see some of Rhys and Vivi and really hope we get a Bowen book next!!! This book makes me want to live in Graves Glen enjoy all the festivals and spooky fun! This is a perfect fall read!

It is now the perfect time to pick up The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling. It’s got all the fall witchy vibes you are looking for, along with my favorite tropes grumpy sunshine & he falls first. Gwen is the owner of Something Wicked in her hometown of Graves Glen. She has started mentoring young witches and is part of the powerful coven who’s power run’s the city. Enter Wells Penhollow. He moves to town to reassert his family’s connection to the town and to make a name for himself. Never did he expect to be running a magic shop across from Gwen Jones. She is infuriating! See how their friendship and relationship grows in this witchy romantic comedy.

I loved this book so much that I may have also preordered the paperback because my bookshelf needs a copy too. - BIG Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for the gifted advanced reader copies.

Gwyn was one of my favorite characters in The Ex Hex, so I was so excited to get a book for her! The Kiss Curse was so much fun. It has some similar beats to the first one, but in a way that I love. I did feel like the stakes were a little bit higher in this one because, unlike The Ex Hex, you don’t start off knowing where the problems are coming from.

Ahhh I actually need the next book like immediately. Please?

Funny and charming, Erin Sterling has done it again - a perfectly pleasant, witchy read for the Fall season. This time, we get Gwen and Llewellyn's story, and I found myself both laughing and swooning in Graves Glen once again. This was a great continuation on from The Ex Hex and good if you need something lighter to read!