Gwyn was my favorite character in The Ex Hex so I was glad to see her getting her own book. Wells on the other hand, I absolutely hated, although he more than redeemed himself in The Kiss Curse. Especially in his POV chapters where you could see how obsessed he was with Gwyn. For being the older sibling (Wells) and older cousin (Gwyn) of Rhys and Vivi, these two were complete disasters of humans and I really loved them for it. Plot-wise this wasn’t the most dynamic story but it was very cute and perfect for fall.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley
for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Erin Sterling returns to Graves Glen with another tale of conflict between the Jones and Penhallow witch families. Gwen Jones is running Something Wicked when Wells Penhallow opens a witchcraft shop across the street. Their competition gets complicated when chemistry between the to raises its head. Having three budding witches to mentor and be the Jones's rep to the town does not help, especially when her magic gets very erratic. Could it be that the return of Morgan, a former Penhallow witch student kicked out for various reasons be the problem? Or is it something else? Having her mom and cousin out of town, so the only shoulder to lean on is the ho-so-handsome Well's does not help. The duo needs to figure out what is going on before Halloween or it may be a very bad time for witches! A fun sequel to The Ex Hex.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this tale!

The Kiss Curse follows the unconventional, rebellious, absolutely hilarious, Gwyn. Since Gwyn was my favorite character from The Ex Hex, it didn’t take much convincing for me to jump into her story. And guys. Her character is truly unmatched. Gwyn jumps off the page and honestly, I wish she would so we could be best friends immediately.

On top of writing amazing characters, Sterling does a great job of introducing readers to a magical world in a way that isn’t overwhelming, but instead entertaining. Her writing style is easy to follow and it flows effortlessly. The Kiss Curse, like The Ex Hex, was such a joy to read.

I think I might have another author to add to my auto-buy list… God help my debit card.

The Kiss Curse was the 2nd book in The Ex Hex series, and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first one! The Kiss Curse focuses on Gwyn and another Penhallow, Wells. Their chemistry is off the charts from the beginning, and I loved the enemies to lovers vibe that they had going on. I also really liked how there was a problem with the Gwyn's magic, so there was a little mystery to be solved, too. Gwyn was a great main character. She was funny, confident, and interesting. She had a great dynamic with so many people in town. I also love the setting of Graves Glen. It just seems like a place I'd want to visit or even live. This was not super scary or anything, but definitely a great, witchy, Halloween read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book to review! This one published on 9/20!

I liked this one better then the first one. The baby witches were fun side characters. The main characters had good chemistry and a fun vibe.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was when I found out there was to be a sequel to The Ex Hex, which I absolutely adored. Second novels can be tricky, but this one did not disappoint. Everything about this novel was just what I needed; sweet, spicy, cozy, and HALLOWEEN. I had been itching for a return to Graves Glenn, the magical small town we were introduced to in the first novel, and Gwynn and Wells' romance was a lovely way to do so. The characters are likeable despite their (very human) flaws, and grow as people both together and separately over the course of the novel (I'm a sucker for character growth). They start a bit "enemies to lovers" but it doesn't last too long (except for the banter, which was excellent). The ambiance of the town and the supporting cast of characters lend the perfect backdrop to a very cozy, magical story. This is pure lovely, escapist, cozy romance, and I adored this book just as much as the first, if not more. I didn't want this to end, and I'm officially addicted to this series.

I liked The Ex Hex but LOVED The Kiss Curse. Getting to know Gwyn in The Ex Hex was so much fun and I just knew I’d love a book surrounding her story. The plot within this book was somehow even better than The Ex Hex and the romance was as well! I absolutely recommend this book!! Big thanks to Avon Books, Harper Voyager, and HarperCollins for an ARC of this incredible story!

I love reading books that feel appropriate for the season. But I am not a huge fan of horror. So I was absolutely thrilled for another installment in this fun romance series that's centered around Halloween and brings in witchcraft and all sorts of spells and curses.

Following the action from The Ex Hex, Wells returns to Graves Glen, so that a Penhallow will be able to contribute to magic there. And he literally sets up shop.right across the street from Gwyn's Something Wicked, prompting quite the professional rivalry.

This book is such fun. Wells often uses particularly polite language that Gwynn sees as snooty. Hearing them go back and forth restating what the other said is wonderful. And I do mean hearing, as the audiobook definitely added to my enjoyment. The accents were so great, as was the pronunciation of all the Welsh words.

If the banter weren't sufficient, Sir Purrcival is the most amazing talking cat. And there are such great Baby Witches. The action and plot were even better than in The Ex Hex. I would have loved even more appearances by Vivi and Rhys, but it was so great to get to know Rhys's brothers better.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to Harper Audio and LibroFM for the audiobook. These opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up

The much anticipated sequel to The Ex Hex has finally arrived! The Kiss Curse follows Gwen Jones (Vivi's cousin) and Wells Penhallow (Rhys's older brother). Gwen runs Something Wicked a witch focused gag gift store in their halloween focused town. Wells comes to town to feel connected to his family. When he opens up a similar store to Something Wicked across the street, Gwen vows to make his company fail. But with Vivi and Rhys gone, Gwen and Wells are forced to keep peace in the town in their absence. Can they keep the town afloat and maintain their truce? Or will an accident with a love spell that leads to a steamy kiss make everything awkward.

I am just obsessed with this series! I was so excited to get the ARC in time for spooky szn! I didn't want this book to end. We've got a great enemies to lovers / forced proximity trope. The tension and anticipation was written so well. I love Gwen as a main character. She's so snarky and sarcastic which is a perfect foil for Well's posh Welsh reserved personality. I loved getting some new side characters. The Baby Witches were so diverse and an entertaining addition to the story. The whole plot line with Morgan was so wild and suspenseful!

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for this copy of the Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling!

What a nice surprise to see a book I loved from last year, The Ex Hex, was getting a sequel! I had no idea this was coming so while having a scroll, imagine my shock! This witchy rom com series is so fun! Someone tell Netflix or Hulu to pick this up as a series!!

When I finished the Ex Hex, i immediately thought “I hope she writes a story for Gwyn” and she did! Now objectively, I think the first book is better. This book was still the fun witchy vibes that I wanted but I didn’t feel the connection betweeen Gwyn and Wells. I know this is billed as enemies to lovers, but I think the establishment of “enemies” wasn’t enough for me to buy into that. However, I thought they had a great back and forth banter. Gwyn calling his esquire was hilarious!

I also enjoyed the witchy subplot. The mystery of what happened with her magic was a great little underlying issue. I kinda wish there was more to that or maybe the explanation of why Morgan was trying to take Gwyn down.

Overall, I think the book thrives in atmosphere. The Sabrina/Halloweentown vibes are fantastic, I just wanted more from the relationship. If this series continues, I will def pick it up! Bowen might need to find his person orrrrr maybe the baby witches?? Someone tell Rachel Hawkins 😂

This was so much fun, it had me laughing the whole time. I think I liked this better than the first one, but it definitely still had the cozy hallmark vibe to it (but with a little spice!)
If you've seen my updates about this book you know I thought it was hysterical, even though it definitely leans more on the contemporary romance side and that is not my typical genre.
Definitely a great start to the spooky season I LOVED IT. If you're looking for a light read to get you into the spirit, this is the book for you! I'm just saying though there's a third brother sooo third book?
<b> Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for this ARC this title will be released September 20th! </b>

This is the perfect fall romance book and no one can tell me differently. I adored Gwyn from The Ex Hex and was so excited to know we were getting a whole book about her. She is full of sass and knows what she wants in life. She is so protective of the people she loves and I just love her spunk.

She is running her families store when Rhys older brother, Wells, comes into town and sets up a similar store right across the street. She has a lot of hate in her heart for Wells and is extremely mad that he decided to do this. The enemies to lovers in this book goes hard and is *chefs kiss* amazing. I adore Wells and the witty banter between the two is phenomenal.

While they're both getting ready for Halloween something sinister is going on in town. Something is stealing Gwyn's magic. Wells, Gwyn, and some of the new Witches from the university are trying to solve the problem.

I loved the plot of this story even more so than The Ex Hex. I think the pacing is superb and I loved all of the new characters that we meet throughout the book. The romance was full of spice, but didn't take away from the plot of the story, it just added to it!

I really hope the author writes more books about this town and these characters because I love them so much.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC REVIEW!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a perfect light and funny fall read! While this is book two in a series, it can be read as a standalone (but I recommend reading The Ex Hex first to get introduced to the world!).
🔮Gwyn is happily running her family’s magic shop in town when grumpy Welsh witch Wells comes to town to shake up her business and her heart.
I enjoyed The Ex Hex but absolutely loved this follow up! Here’s why:
🔮The main reason was Gwyn. She is fun, quirky, and highly sarcastic which made for such an enjoyable read. Her dialogue is snappy and always made me chuckle. The second the book started and she intentionally wore a black sweater with little ghosts on it to a ghost hunt, I was sold!
🔮 the witchy vibes and small town feel. I love the world Erin Sterling created with this series. Graves Glen has all the charm of Stars Hollow mixed with the witchy vibes of Hocus Pocus complete with festivals and local witches. It’s a place I would 100% visit!
🔮 enemies to lovers trope! Gwyn and Wells are a perfect opposites attract couple. She is a loud sunshine while he is a annoyed grump. It was fun watching the two fall for each other.
🔮the baby witches! Gwyn is a mentor to three college age witches who are a perfect trio. They are funny, diverse, and filled with heart
🔮 A good continuation. The world was set in The Ex Hex and continued here nicely with The Kiss Curse. I really like how the Penhallow brothers are slowly being swayed to the Jones family side. I can’t wait to read the next book!
🔥There are a couple well-written spicy scenes.
All in all, this was a great fall read. The characters are spot on and the writing is very approachable. I found myself smiling while reading and wanting to find time to keep going. Also, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! 🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮

Absolutely loved this book! It was so great to return to Graves Glen and see what's gong on now that it's Jones Magic that runs the town. There were so many twists and turns in the plot and everything worked together so beautifully. And then there was the dynamic between Gwyn and Wells - words cannot describe how perfect those two are together. The magnetism between them, the undeniable force that pulls them together but also makes them butt heads in the most hilarious way. I loved the banter, the shenanigans, the way they couldn't keep their hands off each other. I will be thinking about this book for a while.

An absolute spooky gem and fantastic follow up to the wonderful and whimsical Ex Hex!

Gwyn Jones is an absolute firecracker who has always marched to the beat of her own drum (or swish of her own wand?). In this delightful follow up we get to explore more about Gwyn, the Penhallows, some newer characters, some familiar faces, and most importantly - Sir Purrcival!

What’s a witch to do when a man she has secretly held a grudge against since college shows up in her small, magical town and literally and figuratively sets up shop? Throw in a talking cat, a possibly evil new coven in town, and a group of college age “baby witches” and let the chaos unfold!

There is also absolutely wonderful representation of consent in this book (as well as Ex Hex!). It is very clear and very natural and very pleasing and comforting to read in a romance novel.

This book is as sweet as a candy apple at a local county fair. You may think you have it figured out, but that is right when it will surprise you

Only because I know I missed the Library Reads deadline for this title. It was fun and delightful! Definitely recommending to patrons and colleagues!

I received an ARC of The Kiss Curse from NetGalley for review.

Book 2 picks up shortly after Book 1 ends. Vivi and Rhys are now happily married and Vivi's cousin, Gwynn, is holding a grudge against Rhys's brother Wells because he refused to attend the wedding. When Wells not only moves to Graves Glen but sets up shop directly across the street from Gwynn's, sparks fly!
I enjoyed The Ex-Hex but found it a little lacking. Because I didn't really buy into the premise of the relationship between Vivi and Rhys, I wasn't fully invested in the story despite finding it charming. The relationship dynamic that didn't do it for me in book 1 is alive and well in The Kiss Curse.
Grumpy/Sunshine (x)
Enemies to Lovers (x)
More magic (x)
The banter between Gwynn and Wells was fun without being annoying. I also appreciated that the author included more details about the magic of the Jones women.

There's one more Penhallow brother. Here's hoping Bowen gets his love story.

I enjoyed this one. It was a fun enemies to lovers story. I really liked Gwyn and Wells. Their banter was superb. And I liked the Baby Witches and their banter too. This story featured a witchy problem that wasn’t a big deal until towards the end, but I didn’t mind that part wrapping up so quick. Basically this was just fun and sweet and a little sexy too. Looking forward to what comes next.

This was a cute, Halloween-feel rom com that was a pretty quick read.

For those that read The Ex Hex, the first book in this series, if follows a similar formula. The characters were likable. The storyline was entertaining, but a little predictable. My favorite character--although he didn't play a huge role--may be Sir Purrcival, the talking cat.

I'd recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin, Vivi, 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.

I did not read The Ex Hex before reading this book, but it has been on by TBR list for several months now. It was definitely a pleasant surprise to receive this ARC from NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager. Thank you so much!

Having reading The Kiss Curse (book 2) first, I found that it was still easy to read and I didn't feel like I was missing too much from not reading the first one (though I plan on going back to read it next!) This book has my favorite trope, enemies-to-lovers, with fall vibes including some spice, and magic/witches! I really enjoyed the MCs, especially Gwyn, and the alternating POVs.

Delightful read and I give it 4 stars!