Thank you so much to netgalley and Harper voyager for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am loving Rachel Hawkins' transition into adult so much, and this one is no exception. The Kiss Curse is a companion to the Ex Hex, and follows Gwyn and Wells's story. When I found out Wells was the love interest, I was unsure how well he'd fit with Gwyn, but their chemistry was undeniable. The smut was great and the plot was so fun. I did feel that the end was a little rushed, but I'm really excited to see what other stories Hawkins comes up with in Graves Glen. Personally, I want to see more of the baby witches squad, they were so fun.

This follow up to The Ex Hex tells the story of Vi's cousin, Gwyn, and Rhys's brother, Wells. They are complete opposites, of course. Gwyn is colorful, wild, and free, and possibly the most powerful witch in Glyn Graves. Wells has stepped into town from Wales to start fresh and bring some seriousness back to the magically powered town turned tourist trap. While Vi and Rhys travel to Wales for their honeymoon, Gwyn and Wells must become a team to figure out who or what is stealing Gwyn's powers.
This is a great fall read, full of that witchy Halloween spirit, a cast of fun supporting characters, and some semi-spicy love scenes. Perfect for those readers who are looking for a holiday read with a slight bit of heat (most of the love scenes are fade to black).
Thanks so much Avon & Netgalley for the ARC!!

***4.5 Stars***

Overall,
I really enjoyed the first book in this series (The Ex Hex) but I think this book was even better. I love Gwyn and Wells, there banter was top notch. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. It is fast paced, and we see many of the same characters from first book make appearances. While the book was somewhat predictable, it did not take away from the joy that it brought me on a chapter by chapter basis.

Cover
Its ok, pretty standard in the romance industry right now. I think the title peaked my interest more than the cover.

Recommendation
Do you love witchy romances? Did you enjoy The Ex Hex? Do you like to laugh out loud? If you answered yes to any of these questions then I recommend this book to you. I look forward to seeing whats next from Erin Sterling.

***I received an ARC of this novel from Avon, in exchange for my free and honest review. Thank you NetGalley , Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this book early #thekisscurse #netgalley ***

I loved this authors work in the ex hex so I knew I had to snag this one on here! I loved Gwyn and wells and the hate to love trope so much! It would’ve a perfect read for October!

If you read the Ex Hex last fall, the sequel did not disappoint! It was the same witchy family vibes with a Jones woman and a Penhallow man. If you didn’t read the Ex Hex, I think you could still read this one. They give explanations and recaps, so you wouldn’t be completely lost. It is nice to have the backstory though.

After Graves Glen is now fueled by the Jones family magic rather than the Penhallow family’s magic, life is good for Gwyn…. until her enemy from college (who happens to be a Penhallow) moves back to town and opens up a shop right across the street. Oh, and her magic is slowly disappearing.

I enjoyed this story. The pacing was good! I was kind of obsessed with the three college witches that Gwyn was mentoring. They were funny and brilliant!

I’m not typically super into books with witches, but this was light enough that it didn’t bother me. Overall, I’d recommend!

bookish things:
+ witchy vibes
+ small college town
+ enemies to lovers
+ dual POV
+ talking cat
+ open door romance

Let me start off by saying, this is a Sir Purcival stan account. That boy deserves all the treats in the world. Alright now let’s get into it. I had a little bit of a rough time getting into the story at first, but once I was in, there was no way I was going to stop reading. Gwyn was one of my favorite characters in the previous book, so I absolutely loved getting a better look inside her mind. She was seriously a badass witch. The baby witches were a great addition to the story as well. I loved that we got to see Gwyn grow as a mentor. I also appreciated the crumbs we were given of Rhys and Vivi, they are too precious for this world. Don’t even get me started on Llewellyn Penhallow, Esquire. That man was something else. My only issue is I don’t know what a welsh accent sounds like, or if he even has one, so while I was reading I kept hearing his voice in a vaguely Scottish accent. That’s totally a me problem though. The only reason I knocked this down a star is because I am comparing it to my other 5 star reads. If I could I would absolutely give this book 4.75 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

Perfect fall vibes for those of us wishing it would cool off already! Great enemies to lovers storyline with the additional intrigue of magic!

I was so excited to see the Ex Hex was getting a sequel and it did not disappoint. I think the only way I'd be disappointed is if there isn't a third book!

The Kiss Curse: I love a good enemies to lovers story but, alas, there's not a lot of story to be told.

SPOILERS AHEAD

My grievances are as thus:
- Gwyn's character lost a fair amount of spark between "The Ex Hex" and this book.
- Wells seemed...flat. If it weren't for the fact that we're repeatedly told of the inescapable pull between the couple then you might miss it entirely.
- I was 3/4 of the way through the book and I was still waiting for some sort of tension that went beyond a couple of retail shops tussling over turf in a small town.
- The climax was entirely anticlimactic. Power hungry, dark magic coven wants to take control AND! Gwyn gets tired. I mean, she survived near exsanguination but that was about as dramatic and interesting as the sad sentence I just wrote.
- Oh yeah! Papa Penhallow is an evil dick whose own thirst for power for Graves Glen ironically enables the evil coven to weaken Gwyn *yawn* and not at all come close to claiming the the town.

Erin Sterling is talented and she's a much better writer than this book lets on. The Kiss Curse was bewitched by Second Novel Syndrome.

Amazing , she did it again , this novel is fun, can stop laughing at Gwynevere ideas , and the situations she gets into. Like I said awesome book, a really good sequel to The Ex Hex . Also you can notice that has a lot of heart same as the book before. Totally loved it

Someone please make Erin’s books into movies like yesterday! I’m such a sucker for enemies to lovers and this one fits the bill with the added bonus of basically being set in my dream home of a little witchy town. The chemistry of the two mc’s is pure serotonin and had me laughing the whole time. I’m in love and ready to do a re-read already!

The first three quarters didn't have a ton of plot, mostly just focusing on the two leads relationship and chemistry, but I don't see that as a bad thing. Gwyn and Wells are both lovably flawed and it was a pleasure to watch them butt heads and fall in love. Overall this book was cute, steamy, a little cheesy, and just a really enjoyable read set in a little witchy magical town.

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling is the second book in the Ex Hex series. In this witchy romance, Gwyn and Wells, who are huge enemies at first, find a way to overcome their differences and work together to figure out what is messing with magic in the town of Graves Glen. Along the way, Gwyn and Wells hatred for each other turns into so much more.

I have read both books in this series and have loved them both! I love Erin Sterling’s writing and am always pulled into her books, magic or not. I really love the characters in this series and the tension between them. I am very happy with this sequel and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good witchy romance!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon Books for an eARC of The Kiss Curse (The Ex Hex #2) by Erin Sterling in exchange for an honest review.

Gwyn Jones is in an all-out war with her school rival, and oldest of the Penhallow boys, Llewelyn (Wells, Esquire) when he sets up shop directly across the street, selling witchy wares in direct competition with Gwyn's store. Sabotaging each other is all fun and games until they stumble across an enchanted item containing a love spell in the basement of Wells' shop. The sexual tension ramps up between these two as Gwyn starts to lose her magic, and they have to get to the bottom of the problem, which may or may not be related to another former classmate that has recently returned to Graves Glen.

This second installment of The Ex Hex series was even more fun than the first! Bisexual representation, enemies to lovers, multiple spicy scenes, and heavy featuring of a beloved talking cat! I had a blast reading this and sped through it in just a couple of days. I can't wait for this book to release in September, and my hopes are high that Book of the Month makes it available in hardback so I can own a physical copy.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚
Author: Erin Sterling
Genre: Romance
Rating: 5 🐈‍⬛✨🎃
Publish date: Sept. 30, 2022
🌶

I devoured this book in one sitting & this is the perfect book to add to your Fall TBR!! Amazing banter, cozy vibes, baby witches, some 𝑒𝓃𝑒𝓂𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈 steam🔥 & a mysterious new power to unearth!! Give me spooky, Halloweentown vibes and I’m hooked. I loved The Ex Hex, but The Kiss Curse is now my fav!!

We are thrown right back into Graves Glen after the ending of The Ex Hex and Vivi & Rhys make some appearances😍 I love Gywn’s quirky and snappy attitude to everything. Her long time enemy, Wells who is this sophisticated, stoic man shows back up in town and opens up a shop right across from hers and she’s not having it!! I loved how much Wells was affected by Gwyn’s presence & the longing this man was doing for her😩 while Gwyn was wanting him to!

The mysterious aspect of this book keeps you hooked & I loved the diverse characters that Erin gave us in this book. This romance was snappy and funny & I was laughing out loud most of the book.

Thank you to Avon Books and Harper Voyager US for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Sophomore efforts from authors are sometimes a tiny letdown or a major one. However, there are those shiny ones that have disproved that! This is one of those stories!
Coming back to Graves Glen was a treat. The fact that our story centered on Gwyn Jones, cousin of Vivi in book one, was the cherry on top! We also get to know Wells, Rhys’ older l brother, alot better. I think I liked this book more than book one! There’s a new mystery afoot and our two witches (plus a trio of Gwyn’s “baby witch” mentees) set out to to solve it. What was an antagonistic partnership soon becomes something much more flammable, and maybe,(if they can survive the danger), much more permanent.
**Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early draft.**

✨ARC REVIEW ✨

✨ SYNOPSIS (FROM PUBLISHER): "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."



✨TROPES:
🎃Small Town
🎃 Enemies/Rivals to lovers
🎃 Family Rivals
🎃Badass Lady and the Guy who Simps for her

✨My thoughts: WOW did I love Gwyn and Wells. I loved their dynamic and the way they pushed and challenged each other but also bring out the best in each other. I loved the setting, the mystery, the TWISTS, I loved the sibling and family dynamics. Mostly I wanna live in this witchy, Halloween town.

✨The Kiss Curse is from Erin Sterling, published by Avon and Harper Voyager. RELEASES SEPTEMBER 20.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

A magical, enchanting follow-up to The Ex Hex!

The Kiss Curse follows Gwyn, the spunky, fiery older cousin of Vivi, who is now happily married to Rhys Penhallow. Gwyn is living her best life running Something Wicked when Rhys’s older brother Wells comes to town to open his own witchy shop. Tension between the two brews deliciously, and when a mysterious witch from their university days comes to town and seems to disrupt Gwyn’s powers, they team up to discover the root of the trouble before it’s too late. The chemistry between Gwyn and Wells crackles with electricity, and I fell in love with them. The best part, though, is the world building and expansion since The Ex Hex. I love seeing how the magic of this universe works and expands throughout this book.

The real star, though? Sir Purrcival.

I want to live in this book series. Graves Glen is the spooky, witchy town of my dreams, and the setting is painted so perfectly. The character development for Gwyn since the first installment is incredible; she becomes more than Quirky Best Friend and shows her vulnerability in a very endearing way.

Since I read the ex hex I immediately wanted a book for gwyn and also for wells (rhys's brother) when I found out that they would be the protagonists I was excited!! I needed this book, and now that I read it, I totally loved it, I feel like it was missing something, but it wasn't bad, it was very funny, entertaining, and it reads quickly, I love the relationship between gwyn and wells, they are beautiful 🤎 and also how they met years ago 🤭 I also loved the three Baby Witches it was so much fun to read their spell progress 😂🤎, also Vivi and Rhys coming out was beautiful 💖, now what I need is a book for Bowen, it's the last brother I need to read🤧🖤

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

Exactly what I was hoping for this in this magically marvelous sequel! If you didn’t love the Jones women and Penhallow men already, you sure will once this is through. A fabulous love story, twisty plot, and a lot more Sir Purrcival! Love love love.