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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It was wonderful to take a trip back to Graves Glenn with the Jones sisters and the Penhallow brothers. This story was devoted to Gwyn and Wells. I was happily surprised that they fit so well. I love the bit of mystery surrounding these stories. The suspense in the end was great as well. I really wish Wells had learned about who Gwyn was in college. However, that did not take away from this wonderful story. I love Sir Purcival's antics. A talking cat is also a fun aspect. I hope there Bowen gets a story too.

Source: DRC via NetGalley (Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon) in exchange for an honest review
Pub. Date: September 20, 2022
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Why did I choose to read this book?

I loved The Ex Hex so I smashed that request button on NetGalley when this sequel popped up.

What is this book about?

Rhys’ brother Wells and Vivi’s cousin Gwyn trade punches and kisses when Wells travels from Wales to monitor the new magic situation in Graves Glen and opens a magic shop across the street from Gwyn’s store, Something Wicked. Gwyn and Wells slowly fall in love, but as they do, Gwyn’s magic seems to be…malfunctioning. They work together to find out what’s going on and it’s more complicated than the hex they had to clear in the first book!

What is notable about the story?

A twist so great you’ll experience it twice. Erin Sterling got me, I have to admit it. I was convinced I knew what was going on in terms of who was working against Gwyn, but then it seemed like everything was okay, but then Sterling hit me across the face with a two-by-four and I was like “tough but fair” because I shouldn’t have let my guard down.

Also, this book has a lot of foreplay and not a lot of sex until the last 20% or so, when Gwyn and Wells have some pretty interesting scenes together. I appreciate the break from the traditional, but I did wish I didn’t have to wait as long as I did, even though it did end up being worth it.

Was anything not so great?

I had to wait too long for the sex scenes.
That’s it. That’s the list. Everything else was adorable, passionate, and I’ll take a funny talking cat any day of the week.

What’s the verdict?

4 stars on Goodreads and like The Ex Hex this would make a perfect beach read. It’s a fast, fun read that keeps you guessing all the way. Definitely pick it up along with The Ex Hex if you haven’t already. Enjoy!

The Kiss Curse is a perfect book for fall! I absolutely adore the cozy, witchy, small college town vibe of this series and have looked forward to revisiting Graves Glen ever since finishing The Ex Hex! The second installment of the series follows long-time Graves Glen resident Gwyn and new to town Wells as they run their rival magic shops and the competition between the two gets *heated*.

A super fun and easy to read sunshine/grumpy, rivals-to-lovers low stakes spooky season romp! I think I actually liked this one better than the first in the series. Will happily recommend it. I look forward to the next in the series - will be back for the vibes, the talking cat, and hopefully more from the baby witches!

If you’re looking for a cozy, spicy, witchy read to ease you into spooky season, then do I have the book for you.

The sequel to last year’s The Ex Hex, The Kiss Curse follows Gwyn Jones, the resident bi witch of Glen Graves, Georgia and co-proprietor of the town’s kitschy witchy shop, and Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow, the dapper Welsch witch whose ancestors first established the town and who decides to start a witchy shop of his own.

Add in a talking cat (Sir Purcival, bien sûr), three enthusiastic witches in training, a new coven that arrives in town, the sudden disappearance of Gwyn’s magic, and the growing attraction between Gwyn and (the very swoon-inducing) Wells, and The Kiss Curse delivers an incredibly fun story full of great banter, more than a little spice (!!!!), and the type of witchy mystery that will have you itching to watch an episode of Charmed.

I had an absolute blast with this quick read, which made me laugh out loud often and long for all things autumnal. It’s the perfect book to kick-off your fall reading or to devour in one sitting – preferably with a hand pie and a spiced cider in hand.

I loved The Ex Hex and couldn’t wait for the sequel and eagerly requested it when I saw it was available. This one, focusing on Gwyn and Wells, is such a fun enemies to lovers, witchy read.
The gradual evolution of their relationship was wonderfully written and the chemistry between them was full of sparks. There was a touch of magic, a lot of humor, a talking cat, and some dark, suspicious happenings that made me devour this one in just a few sittings.

This book is the follow up to The Ex Hex. And I have to say I think I enjoyed this more than the first book.

I love the opposites attract type romance between Wells and Gywn. I felt like they balanced each other well. This book was still pretty light on the spice, but it was definitely more than the previous book and honestly better quality.

I loved Sir Purrcival. He was so cute. I also really enjoyed the Baby Witches. I thought they added some good humor.

They storyline was pretty good but did feel a bit slow at times. I had sort of figured out the ending early on but still found myself surprised.

I did find two continuity errors that don't match up to the previous book. They aren't huge ones but I'm a stickler.

The first is the implication that salt isn't really used when dealing with ghosts. Vivi said it was something done in movies and shows. While I appreciate the Supernatural reference, that doesn't line up with the first book when they used salt while letting Piper's ghost out of the candle.

The second is that the Baby Witches were calling Vivi, Dr. Jones after they were caught in the woods. It was stated at the end of The Ex Hex that Vivi didn't have a PhD and as far as I know you can't get one in a year. Unless she used magic to get it...