"The Cursed" by Harper L Woods continues the spellbinding journey initiated in its predecessor, offering a seamless continuation that immerses readers in a world rife with betrayal, complex connections, and the shadows of destiny. While I found myself compelled by the narrative, the book felt more like a seamless extension of its predecessor rather than a distinct installment, which is why I gave it 4 stars.

Willow's evolution as a character is intricately woven into the fabric of the plot, revealing layers of her past, present, and the daunting future she must confront. The revelation of betrayal adds a poignant layer to the narrative, deepening the complexity of Willow's relationships and motivations.

The undeniable connection between Willow and Gray persists, despite the enmity that defines their roles. This tension, combined with the residual animosity of the remaining Coven members, paints a vivid picture of the challenges Willow must face in her quest for redemption and protection.

The dismantling of illusions and the acceptance of harsh truths propel the story forward, creating a sense of urgency and purpose. The intricate web of fate and deception that enshrouds Willow adds a layer of mystique, and the duty to undo centuries-old plans underscores the weight of her responsibilities.

The narrative maintains its engaging quality, with Woods' evocative writing style enhancing the immersive experience. The exploration of Willow's internal struggles and her commitment to protecting the Coven elevates the emotional stakes, keeping readers invested in her journey.

The book's epilogue serves as a tantalizing glimpse into Willow's friend, Margo's future, sparking curiosity about the path that lies ahead. While the continuation of the story seamlessly transitions from the first book, I felt the narrative could have delved deeper into standalone developments to create a more distinct installment.

In conclusion, "The Cursed" earns its 4-star rating due to its captivating storytelling, character evolution, and the promise of future intrigue presented in the epilogue. As the series progresses, readers are likely to find themselves increasingly entangled in the enigmatic world crafted by Harper L Woods.

The Cursed in the sequel to Harper L. Wood's The Coven, a dark new adult romantic fantasy novel. This is my second time reading Wood's work, with the first being The Coven. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an audio ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This review contains spoilers. Please read only at your own risk.

Ultimately, I was let down by The Cursed. I loved The Coven - rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars - but The Cursed suffered from the trilogy curse for me. This second installment didn't hit the mark for me, and while I did enjoy aspects of it, I don't think I can recommend it to others.

What I enjoyed:
- The twists with certain characters was a pleasant surprise! I like being caught off-guard with this kind of thing. I thought this was well done.
- The narrators, Emilia Bauer and Ellis Evans, were wonderful to listen to. I listened at 2.5X (my regular speed is 2-2.5X) and I found their voices fitting for their portrayed characters and easy to follow. I will definitely be looking for other audiobooks that they have narrated!
- Woods continues to build lush, gothic, spellbinding atmospheres for her settings. The descriptions and imagery was excellent, and I think this is such a strength of hers!

What I didn't:
- I knew this was a dark romance, but the forest chase at the beginning felt like sexual assault instead of a deal. I think it's call dubcon / dubious consent. Did not like this.
- The back and forth between whether or not Willow hated Gray lasted longer than it needed to. I also felt like her opinion of him changed every few chapters, and it was hard to me to keep that straight as I listened.
- BIGGEST SPOILER SKIP IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ:
Willow changing her mind on wanting children from book one was a letdown. I was hoping to see some badass childfree rep through her, but nope. Pregnancy and storylines that involve children aren't for me.

Overall, I am rating The Cursed 2 out of 5 stars. Others may like this sequel more than I did due to the individual nature of likes and dislikes. I think this was a wrong reader situation for me, so if you enjoyed book one, you should absolutely still give this a shot!

First of all narration was great. This is definitely a book for witchy, spooky season! Now I did not enjoy it as much as book one, The Coven. I did enjoy listening to more about Willow and Gray and their marriage...a match made in hell, literally!!

The Cursed was just as dark and spicy of a read as The Coven. The audiobook was really well done and the story definitely kept me entertained, unfortunately I didn’t like it quite as much as I did the first one though.
The Cursed seemed to shift from the unique magic, witches, and vampire-like creatures that we had in The Coven to something that felt more religious with stories of God, Lucifer, and other archangels. Gray was still an absolutely incredible character and I love the controlling and possessive yet protective vibes of this villian, but I didn’t enjoy the relationship aspect quite as much in this sequel and I don’t feel like Willow was as strong or bad ass in the majority of this book as she was in the first.
Not a horrible sequel by any means but definitely not as good as the first in my opinion!

Audiobook thoughts: Both narrators were fine...but since I read the first book, the male's voice was not what I had imagined in my mind. It was still well done and enjoyable to listen to.

Overall, I am giving this a 3 star. I LOVED book 1 and had high hopes for this, but it felt more like erotica with little plot.

After the seething betrayal of the previous book, we start The Cursed where it left off.

There is more of a lot of the same push and pull from the previous book, the sexual tension pointless in their circumstances. It was still good smut though.

With Gray’s true identity revealed and pretty much all autonomy taken from Willow, these two are still pawing at one another. I quickly tired of the solid foundational competition to betray one another this book exhibits.

I enjoyed the pacing, but expected more plot. This was very character driven, which alone isn’t a bad thing… but it just felt like nothing was happening.

I’m glad this one is wrapped up, even though there is still presumably more to the entire story.

3.5⭐️ 3🌶️ 4🎧
- MF
- Morally Grey MMC
- Primal
- Possessive MMC
- Enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers
- CNC
- Blood Play
- Bondage

The Coven was definitely one of my top reads so far this year, so I have been anxiously awaiting the release of The Cursed. After that cliffhanger I needed to know what happened next with Willow and Gray.

This book started with a bang and I was riveted! There were so many manipulations and betrayals.

Gray was the definition of morally grey and while I love him to pieces there were things he did that definitely made me uncomfortable in all the right ways, most of the time, but not always. He was willing to do anything to protect Willow even if it meant she hated him for it.

I love Willow, I really do. But there were times when I wanted to shake some sense into her. She definitely needed the tough love Gray gave her in order for her to shake off her fear and become the baddie she was meant to be.

I am a little bit confused because this was being advertised as a now complete duet but there is no way that this story is done. I feel like we might start following some other characters for a book or two, but I don’t see how this can be the last book from Willow and Gray’s POV.

I loved Emilia Bauer as Willow and while I really enjoy Ellis Evan’s voice, I still feel like his voice is too youthful sounding for Grey, but it didn’t prevent me from enjoying his narration.

I am also glad that TW are now being included in the audiobooks. I can’t tell you how many audiobooks I’ve read where the TW weren’t included and I feel like they are so necessary.

The Maiden.
The Mother.
The Crone.

So in the first book it felt like not much happening and then everything happened in the last chapter. I feel like the pace was similar in this book however there was more information spread throughout.

I really loved this book though. It was a great continuation of the story and the ending really opened up an interesting new direction for the plot!

Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. I was initially excited to delve into the story; however, I discovered that it contains elements of dub-con, which is not my preferred genre. I appreciate the warning in the audio, but unfortunately, this is not a theme I'm comfortable with. I believe my feedback would be more valuable to someone who enjoys this type of content. Despite this, I want to express my gratitude for the chance to experience the book.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be an ARC reviewer of this audiobook! The Cursed" by Harper L. Woods is a captivating tale woven with intricate threads of elemental magic, an independent protagonist, and a dynamic group of friends. I found myself thoroughly engaged in the mystical world created by Woods.

The elemental magic of the witches in the story is a standout feature that adds depth and excitement to the narrative. Personally, I would like to be a green witch. I love the way Willow brings the wilted gardens back to life. I really enjoyed Willow’s character development in this second installment. Her independence, bravery, and compassion make her a compelling lead.

While Willow shines as the lead, the male main character, Grey, left me somewhat conflicted. I struggled to connect with him, and I yearned for a deeper exploration of his perspective. The love story between Willow and Grey, while passionate, seemed initially reliant on their physical relationship. He came off as obsessed, more so than deeply in love. I did appreciate that he was devoted and supportive of Willow. My favorite quote was "I told you already, Witchling. You aren't alone anymore."

One of the book's delightful elements is the sassiness of Jonathan, Willow's familiar. His presence adds a touch of humor to the narrative. His interactions with Grey were absolutely hilarious.

The most compelling aspect was the genuine friendship between Willow and her friends, Della, Margot, and Nova. Amidst all the backstabbing and scheming, their genuine connection stands out in a very relatable way.

Let me start this review by saying that the audio narrators for this book are great.
The first book in this series had a ton of potential and while it wasn't my favorite book ever, I did enjoy it and was interested in reading the second book. This book however just wasn't doing it for me. Again, I feel like it had a lot of potential and the story could have been amazing but it fell a little flat for me. I will say I love Gray and I loved the spice level of the book but I prefer my spice with a bit more plot. I thought Willow was a bit annoying if I"m being honest.

I really wanted to like this more than I did and that makes me sad.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Harper Woods for the ARC Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

Didn’t love it as much as the first one. I’m slightly disappointed. It felt rushed and just wasn’t as great as the coven.

The Cursed💀
By Harper L. Wood’s🍂

Review👏🏻

I absolutely loved the first book in the series. This was a good follow-up, but it didn’t have exactly the same level of intensity. It’s definitely a dark romance with some twisted scenes between the two main characters. If you enjoy when a female lead tries to kill the male lead, you bill definitely like this. Besides romance, this book has a great deal of action, mystery, and shocking plot twists. Witch and demon lovers, this is for you.

Please check trigger warning ⚠️

Age gap😘
Enemies to lovers🔥
Dark romance🥵
Forced marriage💍
Dark fantasy😈

4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The way I was taken, reading it in two full sittings and staying up way later than I should have. I devoured every. single. page. Set in the gothic facade of Hollow's Grove University, you are completely absorbed by story from the very first chapter. The two main characters are strong, mysterious and leave you wanting more. The chemistry between both of them is evident from the beginning and you know, things are HOT between them. There is a unique and incredibly interesting magic system hooked me right in, I desperately need to know more about it in the next book. This ticked all the boxes for me - magic, demons, vampires and a seriously sexy, broody couple, hell bent on revenge on each other. I've read both the physical and audio versions of the book and I do highly (HIGHLY) recommend the audio. Both narrators are spectacular together!

Is The Coven for you?
✔️ age gap romance
✔️ secret identities
✔️ forbidden romance
✔️ enemies to lovers
✔️ Fierce FMC
✔️ Touch her and die
✔️ Blood bonds

Thank you to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for an advanced copy of audio version. The Cursed is available now in hardcopy and ebook and the audio released December 12, 2023.

I really wanted to like this but it just did not meet the expectations I had for the follow up to The Coven. I don't think the book was bad at all but it definitely had a lot of unused potential. What this did have was amazing spice! It seemed like The Cursed was more focused on the romance than the plot, which is okay for some people but it left me wanting more. I needed a deeper plot, more plot twists, and more character development. That being said, this was still pretty enjoyable and I think fans of The Coven should still give it a try.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.