This was a fun YA fantasy with intriguing characters and an interesting world. It felt like this book had so much potential and it was well-written, but it felt like it almost reached that potential but never quite got there. Even with that being said, I do think this is a very strong YA fantasy and I'm intrigued enough to read the next book.

This book had all the makings to be a fantastic start to a new series, but a lack of world-building and cookie-cutter characters removed the fun from this book.

After Marlow's fall from the elite of society, she forges her path by becoming a curse-breaker. A year into her new life, an old friend, now a new enemy, comes to her door asking for help. She reluctantly agrees and finds herself tangled up in the lies of high society, and a case that has haunted her for the past year...

The plot was interesting. Pool did a good job of weaving together Marlow's mother's disappearance and Adrius' curse. While the two weren't necessarily connected, several people pop up in both cases as suspects, which was fun. The pacing was consistent, and the story never really stalled. We were constantly in a new place in the world, or the case. All these little discoveries at well-time intervals saved this book.

I could not stand the characters in this book, for one of two reasons. Either they were super cookie-cutter, to the point it was almost comical, or they were just horrible. Marlow was fine, even though there was nothing that stood out about her. Her whole identity is wrapped up in her mother's, so we didn't get to know her. I could not stand Adrius. He was incredibly self-centered and hurtful to others. He looks down on others of a lower social class and was only friends with Marlow when none of his other friends were around. Even though he treated others poorly, he still expected to be treated the best and was hurt over things he had no right to be upset about. Marlow and Adrius are in a fake relationship, yet he would lead Marlow on, only to say he was kidding, or gaslight her into being embarrassed. Yet, when Marlow played the part, he acted like a petulant child since she told him, upfront, that it was not real to her. Because he was horrible, I liked them as enemies, even when Marlow was growing attracted to him. To be convinced that they could be lovers, I need leaps and bounds of growth in Adrius's character. He was annoying from start to finish.

The rest of the characters were laughably stereotypical. Marius has a gay best friend who always shows up at the perfect time. There is a gang who said such cliche lines I would have to put the book down and take a second to breathe. (As this is just an arc, I sincerely hope some of those lines get edited out.) Also, the antagonist of the novel was pretty easy to guess from the beginning. Even the little old mean women who just happened to own just what they need in a crisis? Overbearing fathers, a trio of mean girls (yes you read that right), the scorned lover, and the list just goes on. There were no side characters that actually stood out and carried the plot forward.

Hopefully, we get more world-building in the second book. In the beginning, we learn that spells and curses are carried in playing cards. Such a unique concept, but it was never expanded on. About halfway through the book, we learn that bullets can carry hexes as well. So, what decides what can carry a curse? Why can bullets carry hexes, when nothing else in the book is able to do so? They talk about spell casting, so can wizards carry wands? There was no expansion on this idea, which was frustrating. This could have been such a good selling point for the book. As for the rest of the world, there's nothing new. It reads like any other sci-fi/dystopian world, with the poor sector and the rich one.

This book had the potential but did not follow through. Hopefully, the second book will have more growth.

Intrigue and magic!

Marlow is a curse breaker who is helping her past crush, Adrius. Adrius has been given a curse that forces him to obey any orders given to him. He only trusts Marlow when he doesn’t even trust his own family. Adrius comes from a rich, powerful family who values money and power above all. When Marlow discovers who placed the curse on Adrius, she also reveals a secret that will change her life forever.

Likes/dislikes: The mystery behind the curse is fun to watch unravel. Marlow’s perseverance is admirable. The secrets revealed are intriguing and make me excited for the sequel, Masquerade of the Heart.
Language: R for 54 swears and 5 f-words.
Mature content: PG for kiss.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: predominantly white. Adrius has warm brown skin. Corrine has dark skin.

Favorite quote(s):

Maybe that’s all love was. Handing someone a knife and trusting that they wouldn’t cut your throat.

Review:

Wow, this book was incredible! I loved Marlow and her curse-breaking ability. I loved how it kept you guessing who was behind everything with Marlow’s mother and the grimoire. I loved the political intrigue and how I never knew who to trust. I liked the world-building and the magic system. I thought it was so interesting. I did like Adris and felt bad for him and how things went with him and Marlow. I didn’t like Amara; she was so rude. I loved how Marlow was determined to find answers to what happened to her mother. I also loved her relationship with Swift. The last few chapters were insane, and the ending blew me away. I didn’t see that coming and can't wait to read more!

Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

I originally requested an ARC for this book because I read the first book of the Age of Darkness series and fell head over heels for that story and with the author's writing. Time definitely got away from me and I never got around to reading this so when the audiobook was released I grabbed a copy.

Again, I was really taken in by this imaginitive story. Katy Rose Pool has a magnetic writing style that I am a huge fan of. The world-building in this book was on the lighter side but not in a bad way. It was atmospheric and subtle so it was never overwhelming. I was really taken by the premise of this story. It is very original and flowed beautifully. The plot kept my interest throughout and left me hanging on for more.

It was so easy to fall into the orbit of these characters. There was impressive character building that made them very multifaceted. There was some great character growth as well as the series of events in the story unfold. The secondary characters stood out and made things very interesting. I loved the strong friendships displayed in the story.

This book had such a riveting slow-burn romance. I was invested in the romance between Marlow and Adrius from the start. Their chemistry was undeniable from the very first moment they saw each other in the story and it continued to build as the story progressed.

I was able to figure out the plot twist at the end of the book ahead of time but it was still engaging and kept me excited for the next book.

Overall, this was a creative fantasy story with a unique magic system and a mystery at the center of the tale. I was glued to this story from the start and yearned for the second book as soon as I finished the last page. Katy Rose Pool is a fantastic storyteller and I love her creative ideas. My words could never do this book justice and I can't recommend this book or her previous series enough!

Garden of the Curse reminded me a little bit of Olivie Blake but for young adults. I enjoyed the mystery elements and can see why it may be compared to Veronica Mars a bit.

This was an enjoyable YA fantasy with a unique setup. I was really intrigued by the idea of curse-breaking and the setting. I've got to admit that the author was pretty creative and I loved the descriptions and overall idea. The main character was pretty amazing too and I admired her decisiveness and bravery. There's also a mystery involving her mother's disappearance and Adrius' curse. I also liked the hint of romance between Marlow and Adrius but later I got annoyed by the constant push-pull between them and the misunderstandings. I also felt like Adrius never really apologized for some of his past actions and I wasn't completely convinced by his reasoning for them. But that doesn't diminish the chemistry between them. And while the world building was unique I'd have liked more details on the spells, curses and their origins. It was still an enjoyable read with some twists that surprised me and I'd love to see what happens in the next book!

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool was another one of my most anticipated read of 2023, and it did not disappoint! A young adult fantasy read with just enough hints of sci-fi and romance, and I absolutely devoured it. A brilliant read, now eagerly awaiting the sequel!

Another example of why people should still read YA!

This one is mystery, fantasy, a touch of romance and I really enjoyed.

I thought the pacing was good and appreciated the different take on a magic system dealing with the cards.

I’m very interested to check out the next one!

If you’re looking for a new enemies to lovers fantasy but with a mystery? then look no further than Garden of the Cursed! it was a really unputdownable with a unique magic system with great tension between the characters. The characters themselves were very interesting. I had a great time reading this book and I can’t wait for the sequel!

Enemies to lovers romantasy mystery?! Sign me up!! This book delivered on the premise, turning pages and building unbelieveable tension between the characters. A total delight.

An interesting magical tale of secret societies, family and friends. How far would you go to uncover the truth regarding family? How far would you go to help a friend?

Garden of the Cursed is a great book! I loved this book and did not want to put it down. The world building and characters in this one were fantastic.

Garden of the Cursed follows Marlow Briggs, a cursebreaker, after her ex hires her to break the curse that’s been placed on him. Marlow wants nothing to do with Adrius Falcrest, but helping him may help her find out what happened to her mother. Her mother’s disappearance is the only case that keep eluding her. Reluctantly, Marlow and Adrius work together to try and solve both of their mysteries.

I love Marlow. She is feisty and so much fun. Plus she has a cat that can detect curses. The magic system is awesome as well, and definitely felt fresh.

I definitely recommend this one for fans of enemies to lovers and mysteries. I would compare the mood and tone of this to Six of Crows.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! It was a very cool world and magic system that I really enjoyed learning about as the story went on. Marlow is an incredibly cool main character that can hold her own. Adrius is book boyfriend material for sure. There are great twists and turns and the mystery aspect of this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I really liked the narrator of the audiobook. I just wanted to keep listening and was sad when I had to stop. This story just kept getting better as it went on and by the end I was shocked. I can’t wait till the next book and it’ll be such a pain waiting for it 😂 Hopefully Netgalley with have the audio arc early so I can read it 😂

Thanks to the author and publisher for an electronic copy of the book to review.
I originally was interested in this book because the cover art is spectacular, the synopsis stating the book is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars and These Violent Delights, with the combination of being an enemies to lovers mystery romance. Unfortunately it took me a bit longer to actually start reading it, but I'm so glad that I did.
Unfortunately, I did not realize that the book was part of a duology and now need to find book 2 to read since this book leaves off with a lot of loose ends. And I'm very interested in finding out what happens next for Marlow.
It did take me awhile to get into the story with the world building and setting up the mystery, but once I got into it, I could not put it down. I love a mystery that keeps me guessing, and this one sure did. Each time I thought I had it figured out, the author was one step ahead and disapproving my theory. I really did not see the ending coming.
Marlow & Adrius' fake relationship was pretty typical and I love the trope. Combining it with enemies to lovers was interesting.

I need the next book in this series ASAP. I loved the world-building, the characters, and the premise. Such a suspenseful read.

Marlow Briggs, a skilled cursebreaker in Caraza City's Marshes, grapples with her mother's unsolved disappearance. Despite a beautiful cover, the book exceeded expectations, leaving the reader eager for its sequel. The story's captivating atmosphere and strong character development contribute to its appeal.

Garden of the Cursed is the first part in a fantasy series featuring Marlow Briggs. Marlow lost her mom mysteriously one year ago and has been searching for clues about what happened while also taking up post as a local cursebreaker for those in need. One day, an old frenemy comes to her because someone has placed a terrible curse on him and he needs her help. Thus begins a twisting tale with a lot of betrayal, secrets, and a touch of romance.

I loved this book! Marlow is such a flawed character, but you can't help but root for her. The way magic works in this world is really interesting and well thought out. I was interested and engage the entire story.

Let's be honest, I picked this up for the cover alone - it's stunning. I can't wait for the second book - I have Pool's other series and I cannot seriously believe that I haven';t read it yet after reading this. The world building was stunning and the story was so entertaining. The relationships were done very intentionally, and felt like they really progressed the story and made an impact.