Member Reviews

This book felt like a hug from pumpkin spice season. I loved jumping back into Graves Glen and getting to see all my favorites again. It gave me all the fall, breezy, witchy vibes I was looking for. The small town is so charming, with a lauded history. I enjoyed seeing Gwen’s character develop. Loved seeing the two love interests fall for each other, enemies to lovers style!

If you’re looking for a fun spooky season book to pick up while you drink your PSL in a new cozy sweater, as you stir your pumpkin soup, this is the book for you.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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The Kiss Curse is the sequel to The Ex Hex and brings us another witchy romance in the cute, Georgia town of Graves Glen. TKC gives us Gwyn’s story, as the kitschy shop she owns is struggling and her cousin, Vivi, and her husband, Rhys, are going out of town for a few weeks, leaving Gwyn in charge of all of Graves Glen’s magic. She’s reunited with a piece of her past, and her cousin’s husband’s brother (lol), comes back into town. Wells, tired of doing his father’s bidding, returns to Graves Glen to open up a shop that just happens to be across the street with his new arch-nemesis, Gwyn.
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I thought that this was cute! I wished that it went a little deeper and thought we were left with some unanswered questions. I also found myself skimming a lot because I didn’t really CARE about the characters. It was a lot of telling as opposed to showing. It’s great for a cozy fall read, has a low spice level, and definitely reads fast!

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* First I’d like to thank Avon Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

I really liked this book. I thought Gwyn was a great main character because she knew who she was and didn’t really change much. And then Wells as a leading man was amazing because his seriousness complemented Gwyn’s optimistic and lighter personality. Their chemistry was off the charts.

I thought the plot was really well done too. Erin Sterling did a great job building on her world with the small town and university life. She captures the fear of seeing someone from your class years later and not knowing how to react. There were some twists that I could predict, and I feel like Sterling could have had the twists be presented in a different way. There was also one point of the story where I was waiting for Wells to have a clear recollection of Gwyn in school, but it was never explicitly said. So I’m unsure about that.

Regardless, this was one of my favourite books of the year, and I hope there’s more from Erin Sterling in the future.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Kiss Curse delves into the witchy town Graves Glen. The town's history and magic were originally tied to the Penhallow family, but now the Jones family runs the show. Gwyn Jones is unprepared for Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow, who breezes into town from Wales to re-establish his family's claim. He sets up shop across from Gwyn and the competition is on.

Their initial rivalry is soon derailed. First, by a kiss. Then, by a suspicious group of new faces. Everything is worsened when Gwyn's magic starts draining away. Now, Wells and Gwyn are drawn together to solve the multiplying mysteries...and maybe fall in love.

I've previously read Erin Sterling's thrillers she writes as Rachel Hawkins and was excited to read this book. This is the second book in the series, but I was able to enjoy it as a standalone. The story moved a bit slow in the beginning, but I attribute this to the fact I haven't read the first in the series. Overall, a good read to prepare you for fall weather.

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Super cute continuation of the Ex Hex series. The enemies to lovers thing Gwyn and Wells had going on was really well done. They resisted each other so much, of course you knew there was something else going on between them. Baby Witches and Sir Purrcival were also highlights! Can't wait for Bowen's story!

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This sequel to The Ex Hex follows Vivi’s cousin, Gwyn, and Rhys’s brother, Wells. With the cozy and witchy town of Graves Glen, Georgia as the backdrop, Gwyn and Wells clash over their neighboring shops. They begin to work together when a former classmate returns to Graves Glen bringing some weird vibes with her.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I read The Ex Hex last year as part of my October reads and reading the sequel has got me excited for fall. The romance between Gwyn and Wells was cute and steamy, but I wish it would have been developed a bit more. There were some things about this book that didn’t feel fully fleshed out. For example, the book starts with a scene from college where the two characters kind of meet but we find out Wells doesn’t realize it was Gwyn once he meets her later and Gwyn never tells him. I think the way the conflict with the dark magic was resolved felt rushed. I didn’t expect perfection from this book, but I did enjoy the atmosphere and characters. I hope there will be a third book in this series about the third brother, Bowen!

Read if you like:
-witches
-enemies to lovers
-grumpy / sunshine
-talking cats

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OH. MY. SPOOKY. SEASON. This book, y'all. I didn't think I could love a Halloween book more than Ex Hex but Erin Sterling outdid herself! I was bewitched by this laugh out loud, sexy, charming, spookily fun rom com. Small town, enemies to lovers, magic, Halloween, hilarious hijinks, endearing supporting characters, all the witchy vibes- this story has it all. The chemistry between the characters felt off the page and I loved the sweet ways they cared for one another. Also, the talking cat- I will NEVER recover from how funny he was. Can Erin write a 100 more magical rom coms?! Thank you so much to Avon Romance and Netgalley for my copy!

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The Ex Hex was my gateway drug to reading (and loving) romcoms, so I went into The Kiss Curse expecting to love it, and omg I LOVED IT The witchy business and snarky banter and steamy bits were all excellent and combined to make this a perfect, fun read.

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The Kiss Curse was a delightful followup to The Ex Hex. The characters in this story make for a fun story – I loved Gwyn and Wells, and I also loved the baby witches. And the plot is substantial enough that the romance isn't the only thing driving it forward. This was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed it! Very steamy, too!

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I was so excited when I received this ARC from NetGalley and Avon Books. I read The Ex Hex last year, and I really liked it; I was so excited when this sequel was announced.

The Kiss Curse takes place a year after The Ex Hex, and it is all about Gwyn (Vivi's cousin). The Jones family's magic is now flowing through Graves Glen, and Gwyn is running her store, Something Wicked. With her mom and cousin away on trips, Gwyn is all set to run her store and start celebrating fall and Halloween, but of course, it can't be that easy. Wells Penhallow, Rhys's brother, opens his own magical store across the street from Gwyn, and then her magic starts acting weird. Gwyn and Wells team up, along with some Baby Witches, in order to figure out what is happening with the magic.

This romcom was so cute and cozy (and a little bit steamy) and perfect to get you into the fall/Halloween mood. I, of course, loved it so much cause it was enemies/rivals to lovers with bantering and pining, and Gwyn and Wells were so precious together. I will also be on the lookout for another book in this series because it has been left open for more stories in Graves Glen.

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Absolutely loved getting the chance to continue reading about the characters in this series. This book is so fun and has just the perfect amount of steam peppered in. The storyline is captivating and I felt that I could make a genuine connection to the characters and (most) of what they were going through. I hope to see more from this series in the future!

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Erin Sterling is back with another wonderful witchy installement set in the picturesque town of Graves Glen. Vivian's cousin Gwyn gets to star in her own love story with Wells, with a great enemies to lovers storyline. Much of the story takes place off-campus which pained me a bit since I loved this setting in the Ex Hex. However, Gwyn and Wells each own their own magic shop which helps preserve the overall mood. The tension and drama are a bit vanilla (a college friend returns to town and seems to be up to some shenanigans) but the romance is top notch. A solid seasonal read - if you liked the first book, you will enjoy this one too!

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Loved The Ex Hex and was anticipating this sequel so much.

It was great to see Vivi and Rhys as characters making an appearance but this followed Gwyn and Wells.

A well written, slower plot line to heat up that enemies to lovers trope. One of my favorites thrown into a spooky season. This is sure to be a hit.

Definitely a worthwhile fall read.

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The follow-up to Erin Sterling’s New York Times bestselling hit The Ex Hex features fan favorite Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow as they battle a new band of witches and their own magical chemistry.

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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I gasped when I saw I was approved for The Kiss Curse. The Ex Hex was a feel good, Halloween inspired book and I was expecting nothing less from The Kiss Curse. The book did not disappoint, we saw a little of Vivi and Rhys’ married life, but this book mainly followed Gwyn and Rhys’ brother Wells after his move to Graves Glen. Where the Ex Hex was a little more PG, The Kiss Curse was dare I say, spicier. I flew through this book and was excited to see it through but also very sad that I finished and can no longer live in the magical- Halloweentown world of Graves Glen. Just like The Ex Hex, this star got 5 stars from me. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for my gifted ARC.

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Such a good cheesy spooky romance !!

I love how Erin Sterling can make me read a romance when in an autumn mood. This book is just so perfect for autumn/halloween. I loved this sequel so much it really did not disappoint. The romance is so cute it made me swoon but it's also still very autumnal which makes it even more perfect. The characters are so lovely and honestly I could not put this book down once I started it.

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This book was so good I read it in one sitting. It delivered the same charm as The Ex Hex and I loved Gwyn's romantic journey as much as Vivi's. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone.

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Rating: 4 Stars

The Kiss Curse was an enjoyable witchy romance book. It is the second book in the Ex Hex series, so I would just recommend reading the prior book first for more context and backstory. It is also dual POVs of the main characters and has the enemies to lovers trope, which was great.

The overall storyline and plot were just okay. The romance seemed to be more of the main focus of this book, which I didn’t mind, but it did mean that the development and pacing of the plot was pushed aside until the end. While, a lot of the action doesn’t occur until the last few chapters, it was still a well written and charming read.

Like I mentioned, the romance between the main characters was definitely the main focus of this book. There were a lot of amusing, heartwarming and entertaining moments between them. Their banter, tension and chemistry was incredible and so entertaining. I also really liked the shop wars between them and the spice/smut was great as well.

Some of my favorite aspects of this book were definitely all the Rhys and Vivi snippets, the baby witches the heroine was mentoring, and Sir Purrcival the cat.

I will say that the one thing that I wished we could have read about was the hero finding out that the heroine was the purple hair girl he had a crush on when they were younger.

The ending and overall conflict did wrap up a bit too quickly, but does set up for the next book in the series, for which I’m really excited for. Overall, just an amusing read that’s more romance than plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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What a great sequel! I really enjoyed The Ex Hex, so I was particularly interested in The Kiss Curse. Thank you to the author and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

It didn't take me very long to read this book because I just wanted to know more. More about their magic, their relationship, their town. Gwyn and Wells have similar personalities, and seeing their banter was so fun to read. This story had a lot of twists and turns, and unexpected moments, that kept me on my toes. The dialogue was very well written, and I felt like I immediately understood these characters and why they were the way they were (stubborn!). Honestly, all of the characters in this story were so intriguing, I just wanted to know everything about each and every one of them. I'd love a prequel novel about when everyone was at university together.

A beautiful, fun book, that I'd absolutely recommend for spooky season.

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Love this book!

After reading The Ex Hex I was super excited to read Gwyn's book, and it did not disappoint. This is a cute enemies to lovers, that becomes so much more. Reading about Gwyn and Wells was an adventure and so cute. The romance in this book is so prevalent the chemistry is undeniable. This book was honestly great all around, it's a fun read and so entertaining.

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