Interesting and enjoyable. A solid 4. Twin queens sharing the crown go on separate adventures with different agenda and meet up again at the end for a grand finale.

Rose
Rose's story was the most interesting and funny at times. She is a spoiled queen but there was soul growth in the story.

Wren
Part of Wren's story with the blood magic was gross and less enjoyable to read. Plus, there were some negative philosophies in her sections of the book. But the banter between her and the king were cute and I like where this is going.

Overall
I didn't read book 1 before this, but want to now and I'm definitely interested in how the story will end in the sequel. The ending battle scene had many cheesy one liners, was unrealistic, and fast paced.

There were a few things in the story that didn't quite make sense, like how come the twins have a huge palace and sleep in the same bed? Why didn't Wren have enough money to leave when she's a queen of an entire country? But it was enjoyable, nonetheless. I loved the contrast between the two sisters and the letter Wren had sent to the king, which was funny.

📖 BOOK REVIEW 📖

👑 Cursed Crowns by 👑

After finishing Twin Crowns I was super curious where the authors would take the story next! I was hoping for more relationship development in the story and boy did it deliver.

Here’s what to expect:
✨ Young Adult fantasy romance
✨ Twin sister princesses with opposing personalities
✨ second book in a series
✨ Fantasy world building
✨ Witches, magic, prejudice
✨ major romantic tension
✨ morally grey characters
✨ Warring kingdoms + rebellion
✨ Dual POV (each sister)
✨ epic adventures in separate places

My favorite parts were obviously the romance 😮‍💨 I absolutely loved the sisters’ separate love stories and seeing how they grew from them! And some of the sweetest romantic moments had me swooning, I just loved the tension it had me kicking my feet like a child 😂 also the potential villain love story ALWAYS GETS ME 🫠

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

I really enjoyed the back and forth perspective. Being a twin myself, I loved how it showed that twin are similar yet different from each other. The plot was well place and the story was fun...filled with twists and turns.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for an advanced eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Non-spoiler review:

Really enjoyed being back in Wren and Rose's world! Readers get to see how Wren reacts to palace duties and how Rose manages in another adventure out in the world. We learn more about Shen Lo and King Alarik's families and past, and we spend time with Tor and Elske.

As with the first in the series, “Twin Crowns,” I really enjoyed the back and forth perspectives of Wren and Rose in this second book, “Cursed Crowns.” Having the two girls’ narration helps the reader absolutely fly through the pages, as well as offer more than one perspective to see the story through.

I really liked the concept of this book, how the twins are so similar but so much the opposite at the same time, embarking on two different missions that they ultimately believe is the best for their shared kingdom. While this is a YA fantasy, it felt very young. Perhaps most of the YA I read is really more suited for the New Adult genre, but it was a little too honeyed and coy for my taste. I got strong “Princess Bride” vibes, but a bit more juvenile in nature. Often, I am more drawn to Wren’s tale, as she seems to be the more fierce and less naïve of the sisters. The book also had really interesting twists and turns, and I experienced a healthy mix of laughs and tears at the end of the novel.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to more in the series. I am especially looking forward to getting to know Alarik better🌶️

3.5 stars! I received this copy from NetGalley.

This book was everything I wanted it to be! I just wish it was longer. I WANT more. 🤣 I'm so excited for the next book!

Thank you for the eARC!

Am so excited about this book!
When I got my copy I devoured it! If you haven't read book one in the series, you must read it first. Book two us even better than book one in my opinion
It picks up right where book two leaves off and continues the story.
I was so angry with the characters when they kept making bad decisions.
At times I screamed at them at others I cheered. I even found myself laughing. A whirlwind of emotions, twists and turns

Ready for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in return for my honest opinions.

Recommend.

YES YES YES. Now that is a sequel. I liked the first book, but didn't love it so much I'd want to re-read it (which is what I hold my 5-star ratings for). I would rate it like a 3.5-4. But this sequel? It's just on that edge of 5 star for me, I would most likely read this again within the year, it was that good. These two authors work magic together, and I was so very lucky to be able to read this ahead of time to review, so thank you NetGalley, and the publishers for that opportunity. I loved the characters more (I had some trouble with connecting to Rose's POV in book 1), and those TWISTS. I can't rave enough, give me all of Ms. Doyle and Ms. Webbers books here-on out please, I need them desperately!!

Well, they’ve done it again…

I loved this sequel even more than the first book!

My only complaint after finishing Twin Crowns was that we didn’t get to see more of the world. This book definitely delivers in terms of exploring the continent, meeting new characters and developing the world as a whole!

I loved learning about the Sunkissed Kingdom, though I definitely found myself partial to Wren’s plot line and her time in Gevra.

As someone who was head over heels for Tor in the first book, I may or may not have switched my allegiance.

King Alarik delivered with the enemies to lovers tension and I really don’t fault Wren for falling for him. Tragic, swoon worthy villains with soft hearts are my weak spot too.

Overall, I found the plot super engaging, the romance well developed and am super excited to read a third book soon!!!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to both Netgalley and the authors for getting to read the sequel to one of my favorite books of 2022 early!

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was thrilled to receive an e-arc for book 2. I found the story relatively easy to pick back up, despite the time span since reading the first book. Like the book 1, this book is told in alternate POVs--that of Rose and Wren. I liked the variety, and I felt that the style kept the story moving. Both sisters experienced significant character development, as did a few of the other returning characters.

There were a few interesting twists that I thought the author did a good job building into her story, some more predictable than others.

I look forward to the third book in this installment. Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is a great choice for teens interested in high fantasy.

This book starts off almost immediately after the ending of book 1, and imo, the way the plotlines happened also felt like a nod to book 1. It was fun to see the adventures and the very cool new characters (I especially enjoyed all the fun banter).

I was not expecting the twist with the "curse"?

Also, the ending made me cry a lot 😭 like [redacted] deserved so much better

A perfect sequel to Twin Crowns! I loved how much the world expanded in this story - we got to explore places only mentioned in Twin Crowns (no spoilers) and we got to know about Eana’s history. Plus, Wren and Rose are such well-written main characters. Though they may look alike, they are so different from each other - their thoughts, their interests, their personalities - which makes complete sense given how differently they were raised. Rose is initially going to be more politically savvy and Wren will be more confident in her use of magic. I found their individual thoughts and actions to be entirely plausible and believable based on their personalities.

Cursed Crowns picks up right where Twin Crowns ends, and even with the new threats and adventures, the focus isn’t taken away from the main threat - Oonagh’s curse that now lives in the twin Queens. That foreboding is a running thread throughout the entire novel, which was action-packed with self-discovery, questions of morality, familial bonds/sacrifices, and even a dash of romance (Tor who?).

I mistakenly thought this was duology, as only two books have been officially confirmed, but there are too many loose threads to tie up for there not to be a third book. I’ll be impatiently awaiting the announcement. In the meantime, I highly recommend picking up Twin Crowns/Cursed Crowns to begin your next fantasy adventure!

A swoon worthy follow up! I absolutely adored the first book in this series and there was no sophomore slump to be seen here. This book took what the first build and continued to make it even better.

Thank you @balzerandbray for the e-arc of this fantastic sequel.

Spoiler Free thoughts about what I loved:
• the writing is fantastic
• sisterhood
• wit and heart
• the ROMANCE
• I loved the twists!

This sister-in-law duo is AMAZING and I love the characters and world they have created. I can’t wait for more from them!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: closed-door
TW: possible spoilers -dm for details

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Balzer + Bray for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review. (Publish Date: 09 May 2023)

I’m completely head over heels in love with this book! I’ve been dying to read “Cursed Crowns” ever since I read book one of this Twin Crowns series last year - which was one of the best YA novels I’ve read since “The Selection” by Kiera Cass!

Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly love a sequel more than the original, this exceptional book came into my life and blew me away. All of my favorite characters were back (Wren, Rose, Shen, and Tor), but an unexpected love triangle took me by surprise in the best way possible! And I was equally surprised to find myself rooting for this unexpected coupling!

Aside from the outstanding cover art, the writing between the two authors is so skilled and seamless that I completely bought into everything they created. This is one of the few books where I literally laughed out loud a few times while reading it as well (the attic scene in particular had me in stitches!). I’ll be eagerly awaiting my return to Anadawn as soon as this book is available – which I have already pre-ordered!

My only small complaint was that Shen, who is one of my favorite characters in this series, acted a bit out of character a couple of times – which shocked me since all the other characters were in top form. I loved the addition of the mysterious hand mirror you can see in the cover art. I won’t give any spoilers, but I thought its use was very clever for this story.

I absolutely recommend this book to any teen or adult wanting to read a fantastically well-written YA fantasy rom-com. I thought the series was a duology, but this book had a huge twist at the end, so I know there will be at least one more book in this series – which I’m ecstatic about, because I must know how this whole series will end!

The only reason why I did not give this five stars was because Rose is annoying and immature.

I feel like the girls being separated for so long in this book make it very difficult to believe how close they are. They've spent such little time together between the two books, but are incredibly close. The mirror somewhat helped with that, but I wish there would have been some more interacting with them.

I loved Wren's chapters so much more though. Her bantering with a newish character and the chemistry they had really made me look forward to their chapters. They held this book on their back.

I was glad to see Rose and Shen's relationship grow, but they both have issues that make me worried. The twist sort of helps most of their issues-but the fact that this twist helps them avoid the fact that Rose didn't want to be with Shen because he was low ranking. It unsettled me.

Overall, I was satisfied with this sequel. I have a feeling that the next book will be even better though!

This was such a great read! I absolutely loved this story and characters which is why I flew through this book. The plot was exciting and full of twists and turns. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I hate to do this, but I'm putting this book on the DNF pile. I enjoyed the first well enough but I just can't really get into this book. I haven't gotten very far with it, so take my judgments with a grain of salt. I don't want to judge the editing too much since this is an uncorrected proof, but I couldn't help noticing some errors right away. Right at the beginning, there were so many sentences that went on and on. A period or semicolon would have done wonders.

But that's a technical issue. My other issue was with the story itself. The readers were left with these two queens newly crowned, their grandmother captured and Wren's lover rejecting her. Their kingdom is in an uncertain time now because the girls want to reintroduce witches to society, when for years the people have been taught witches are evil and have terrifying powers. The girls learn that one noble in particular is stirring up dissent, so they bring him to the palace.

And what, you may ask, do these new queens do in their first act of diplomacy? Mock this dissenter and threaten him rather than talk to him, listen to his complaints, offer any sort of negotiations or concessions on their part. At one point he suggests that Rose marries him to help settle country and they act disgusted at this. Like, sorry he isn't young and handsome, but this is what it means to be a ruler. Marrying a non-magical nobleman would have indeed done wonders in stabilizing their kingdom and showing that non-witches still matter. But no, they basically just go "do what we say or else". Way to act like dictators. But it gets even more stupid as Rose suggests they send gift baskets to everyone in the country. Are you kidding me? Thankfully Wren thought this was equally stupid, but even so. How could Rose have been trained all her life in diplomacy and politics and think that gift baskets was a reasonable solution? Her letter to the king who took their grandmother was pretty awful, too. Though Wren's was even worse as she, again, threatened him rather than show any sort of tact. If it was the authors' goal to illustrate that neither of these girls know how to be rulers, then well done. They just refused to listen to anyone who wasn't a witch, in turn proving the point of all the people who were afraid of witches taking over the country.

It doesn't really help that the reply Wren gets to her threat is basically "come and say that to my face". Is that king five years old? What is happening?

So yeah, I can't really finish this book if this is how things start off. It really bothers me when YA authors have their characters be rulers, but then show them without any sort of competence in ruling. Or have them be completely ignorant about what's going on in their country/having on blinders, and making terrible decisions without any counsel trying to steer them in a more reasonable direction. Now, maybe the idea is that these girls learn how to be better rulers as the book goes on, but it's hard to go with that when the text wants me to believe Rose is a natural leader. I guess if you don't take it too seriously you might enjoy it, but I just couldn't turn my brain off enough for that.

This book felt a lot slower than the first one but I still enjoyed it! I liked seeing how Rose grew more independent and Wren realized things aren’t always as they seem.

One of my most anticipated read!! It came here to serve, and it did. This sequel followed right after the book 1. Here, we happen to see the further exploration into the world that author has weaved. I loved how far these main characters have come since book 1. Their growth and arc has been superbly done without making it come across as rushed or false. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.