Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc!

I enjoyed this finale. I previously mentioned that I was skeptical coming into this series because I had DNFed this author's first series, but I found that I enjoyed it a lot more than I had originally thought. For this book, I thought that this was a good conclusion to the story, if some parts of it did feel a bit unnecessary and rushed. I did still have a few problems with the main character, but she didn't bother me as much as she did in the first book. Maybe it was because she grew and learned from her mistakes, but either way, she didn't annoy me as much as she had when I read the first book---and to be fair, that could have just been a me problem and I wasn't in the mood for her at the time.

I look forward to what this author does in the future.

I had fun with the first book. This one had a lot more angst. I generally liked the fast pace, but the second half just zoomed on by. There were surprises that seemed to come out of nowhere and needed further explanation. I also wanted better closure around the five families, especially because there were certain individuals I believe needed to face harsher consequences. While I was not much of a fan of the conclusion, I liked how the main story wrapped up. It posed multiple questions about exacting justice and ensuring equality that I've often thought about.

The focus on the romance in this one made up for a lot in the first book. Marlow and Adrius are separated most of the time but there is a lot more sizzling between them. The first book was filled with suppressed feelings and hate-filled tension. This one hurt a bit differently with suppressed feelings and a romance that veered toward the forbidden.

I liked the first book much more but this one still provided me with a generally good reading experience and some closure. I appreciated Marlow staying loyal to herself and to the people she cared about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

This is the second book in the Garden of the Cursed duology and was a fun conclusion to the story! I loved the first book and want to be best friends with Marlow, and while I don't think I loved book #2 quite as much, it was such a fun book and I will absolutely be adding a copy to my classroom library. This book picks up right when #1 ends, and follows Marlow, Adrius, and crew as they search for the ingredients needed for the spell of a lifetime, basically. I don't want to spoil anything by explaining further! There is still action and romance like in book #1, but I think what kept me from loving this one as much was the lack of magic-packed action, which is so fun in this world since it relies on the spell cards/curse cards, not anyone's innate abilities. The ending brings lots of action for sure, which was great!

This is an awesome duology for readers who enjoy magic, romance, action, adventure, all with a healthy dose of family drama!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I really enjoyed this second installment in the duology. This picks up right where book 1 left off, so it might be good to have some memory of the first book (unlike me). I wasn’t 100% on all the past details but after reading for a minute I remembered everything again.

Marlow is back trying to get all the pieces to finally fit together from book 1. There’s a lot of plot in between Marlow trying to save the day and there’s a million different side quests. The real action happens so fast and is resolved so easily, however. The book is shorter so all the plot feels crammed in. It made for a fast read and there’s plenty going on to keep your attention. Throughout the whole book I couldn’t stop thinking about how annoying Amara is. Like I would be so done with her. She is the worst. Swift is such a great friend to Marlow and I like his grumpyxsunshine relationship that I called from the very beginning. How Marlow missed that I don’t know.

Adrius & Marlow’s romance ramps up a LOT and it’s again surprising people didn’t know they were into each other. Like how? All the questions you had in the first book are answered and resolved and I’m glad that the series wrapped up with a sweet epilogue at the end. A very fun duology filled with unique magic and sweet romance!

What a great follow-up and conclusion to Garden of the Cursed. I loved the additional perspective and I love Katy Rose Pool's writing style and the world she has built with this series. This is such a great YA urban-fantasy that fits perfectly within the young adult genre. I loved the overall story and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. The romance did a great job at not overpowering the story while still being entertaining.

Masquerade of the Heart is the exciting conclusion to the Garden of the Cursed duology. I inhaled Garden of the Cursed, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next with Marlow and Adrius. The ending of the first book was marvelous, and this one grabbed my attention from the start.

Marlow and Adrius both have compelling stories, and the growth they both show over the course of the duology is incredible. I felt for both of them as they dealt with the ramifications of what happened at the end of the last book. Now, tensions run high in the five ruling families, and, as more secrets and lies are revealed, the battle for power is intense. The story is action-packed and suspenseful as Marlow unravels all that she learns and tries to forge a better future for herself and those she cares about.

I loved that this story included Marlow and Adrius's perspectives. I was so interested in Adrius in the first book and loved seeing all the different layers to his character. There are parts of his story that felt very emotional, and I was moved by some of the things he experienced. And other characters like Swift, Gemma, and Silvan, as well as some new additions, add so much life to the story and highlight the found family aspect, which is always a fave of mine. And the love story - so wonderful! The pining and angst, the sexual tension, the banter and chemistry, the forbidden aspect to their romance - it's all fantastic!

.I really enjoyed this read. It was fast-paced and suspenseful, and the plot was intriguing. It's a nice balance of action, character development, and romance, and the fantasy elements, especially the magic, are unique and interesting. And the ending is wrapped up well. I would definitely recommend the duology to YA fantasy and romantasy readers. Thanks to NetGalley and Holt Books for Young Readers for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

🤍Thank you @netgalley for the earc of this anticipated sequel🤍

•Spoiler Free for books one and two•

After reading Garden of the Cursed, I was on pins and needles for the sequel. Like book one, I ended the story just loving everything about this world and these characters

The magic, the mystery, the romance, the friendship, all of it had me absolutely obsessed.

This duology feels like Enola Holmes meets a Ketterdam feeling world, with the addition of magical cards

A few things about book one!
• duology
• second chance
• fake dating
• curses
• a mystery

I highly recommend picking up Garden of the Cursed and Masquerade of the Heart (out 6/18)

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆/5
Steam: make outs
TW: dm for details

Thank NetGalley and Macmillan for an e-arc of this book!

This was a satisfying conclusion to the duology that started with Garden of the Cursed, but I’m not sure I liked it as much as the first book.

The main reason I didn’t think it was as strong as the first book is that Marlow outshines all the other characters by miles. And of course, she is the main character and I LOVED her development and her character in general, but it just made the lack of growth and development in the side characters more obvious. I wanted more from Gemma, from Swift, from Silvan, they were all such interesting characters and we didn’t get enough development in their relationships with Marlow.

Adrius is another story altogether, I felt as though he did have development and his relationship with Marlow had depth, but it just felt a little bit rushed. Also, he wasn’t in like half of this book, hence why it might have felt rushed. That being said, I’m glad Marlow and Adrius FINALLY got on the same page.

Other than that, I loved this world and it’s complexity in the first book and I still really enjoyed it in this one, and watching Marlow navigate it and use it to her advantage was great.

I also liked the villain in this story because he really believed he was doing the right thing and made points that Marlow understood. It was interesting to watch because I think Vale truly did love Marlow.

If you read the first book, definitely pick this one up, it was a satisfying conclusion to the story.

Really enjoyed this! A great conclusion to the duology that didn’t leave me with too many questions.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely devoured Garden of the Cursed and the same can be said of Masquerade of the Heart. At the beginning of the book, we have Marlow still trying to break Adrius' curse. At the same time, she is doing what she can to avoid being tried as guilty at her upcoming trial. She is still convinced her dad, Lord Vale, is responsible for the curse and is determined to prove it.

Marlow is searching for her friend, Swift, who has been taken by one of the gangs. She is also still strongly disliked by the Copperheads and continues to have to avoid them. Without giving too much away, Marlow discovers their is more secrets and lies among the five families and that the city of Credenza is on the cusp of destruction. Marlow seeks out old friends, new friends, and gains some unlikely allies in order to create a spell that will hopefully save the city from being taken over.

Marlow and Adrius are not at odds for the whole story, so for those of you like me who are invested in the romance, don't worry! The plot is fast paced and events from the previous book that were left open all culminate in the final book as the different families, gangs, and allies all merge together.

This serious was did not disappoint. The second book was equally, if not better than the first book!

This novel was high on my list of anticipated sequels this year, and it didn’t disappoint. My review will be brief to avoid spoilers – it’s an especially challenging task with this one.

After the events of the Vale-Falcrest wedding at the end of the last book, the fate the head of the Falcrest family is uncertain, and tensions are high between the Five Families. Adrius’s father named him heir, a title Adrius doesn’t want, and his sister is determined to prove she’s the better choice to lead the family. Marlow learns the identity of her father, but he’s also the same man who cast the compulsion curse on Adrius in the first novel. As she gets closer to her father, Marlow begins to question if he’s the villain she’d believed.

The main focus of book one was the breaking Adrius’s compulsion curse before it became permanent. In this follow up, the curse is broken early in the story, and Marlow is unsure exactly how it happened. I was surprised that plot line wrapped up so quickly, but I can see how its resolution impacts the direction of this story. The MCs are now on a suspenseful quest to gather items for a spell. Marlow is put in some impossible situations, and she certainly makes mistakes, but her strong moral code guides her decisions. From the gangs in the Marshes to certain aristocrats, there’s no shortage of people who’d like to see her dead. I was happy to have some chapters in Adrius’s POV this time and rooted for him every step of the way. Since he and Marlow finally admitted their feelings for each other, their romance takes up a larger portion of the story, but doesn’t overshadow everything else going on. I have to admit another relationship caught me by surprise, but I fully supported it and enjoyed the dynamics.

The conclusion of this magical high stakes fantasy is very satisfying, but I’ll miss these characters. Recommended for fans of magical mysteries, found family, and enemies to lovers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I won’t lie, this didn’t hit as hard as the first one, which I absolutely adored. There were certain emotional developments that felt unearned. The main antagonist was a little underwhelming. I did still love the cast of characters though!! Definitely recommend this duology.

MASQUERADE is overall a satisfying conclusion to the duology; while nothing was too surprising, the various plot threads and relationships were wrapped up nicely. I don't think it's as strong as GARDEN; we're not really learning anything new about the setting and the world building isn't expanded as much as I would have liked, but the character relationships are explored a bit more. I did miss the fake dating and mutual yearning of GARDEN though, which is perhaps my favorite aspect of the series.

I like a good coming of age story and this one hits all the marks: magic, betrayal , misunderstandings, ill-fated love stories, vengeance .

I did read it as a stand alone and there is a previous story. I didn’t have any trouble following the current story line could tell there was information that could have provided more context.

I found Marlow’s decision making and rationale interesting at times. Definitely not choices I would have made, but I could see how she arrived at her decisions.

I am curious to see what other stories might come out of Evergarden society.

This was amazing! I never want this series to end. I can’t wait for the last one! If she forever end up with Gabe, I will riot.

Loved book two even more than book one. The twists the turns. The character development. The little tastes of romance all coming together to make this book un-put-down able!

Marlow and Adrius pick up in the right spot we left of in Garden of the Cursed. Marlow is still trying to break Adrius's curse and come to grips with learning about her father.

There are a few new revelations, a new mystery and a few twists.

Unfortunately this finale didn't meet up to my expectations. While the first was quite gripping. I found this one wanted to focus on finishing up the story and tying off loose ends, but never quite made me feel that need to know what's happening next. I would have preferred to just skim to get answers in all honestly. Kind of a bummer.

It wasn't bad though, and I loved Garden of the Cursed and it's characters. I just maybe had higher expectations than it warranted.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this digital book in advance

I finished book one and instantly looked for this book! I was so excited when I got approved for a copy and stayed up all night to see how the story wrapped up. The author does an amazing job of keeping everyone's storylines in order and wrapping up all the loose ends. The ending was perfect!!

Masquerade of the Heart is the sequel to Garden of the Cursed. We pick up right where we left off in book one with the same dynamic characters, and we delve deeper into the “why” behind the mystery of the previous book.

Without comparing Masquerade of the Heart to its predecessor, this book is fun but complex, and it should be shown as an example of how to write a stellar young adult fantasy. It has an angsty relationship between Marlow and Adrius, an enticing mystery, and complex family dynamics. I had a good time reading this and enjoyed finding out what happened to the characters from the first book. The second half was more exhilarating than the first- I had a hard time putting it down.

However, when you DO compare this installment to Garden of the Cursed, Masquerade of the Heart is a bit of a letdown. It does not quite capture the magic of the first book. It attempts to cover too many topics and changes pace at seemingly every chapter. I would not have minded this book being longer or even having this duology become a trilogy, and I think it could have greatly benefited from either choice. The reader does not get to sit with everything nearly as long as I would have liked, and while questions do get answered, it just feels rushed. My favorite aspect of book one was the budding romance between Adrius and Marlow, and it feels very brushed over at parts in this sequel.

I just wanted more from this, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The author did such a fantastic job creating the world in book one that I wanted to be just as captivated by book two. This was a solid conclusion, but I prefer book one. I definitely recommend this duology to anyone looking for a new young adult fantasy series, especially one with an angsty romance!

Masquerade of the Heart was a fantastic finale to a jaw dropping duology full of secrets, dark curses, and very, very messy family dynamics (we know Katy Rose Pool loves writing those haha). It was everything I wanted it to be and it brought Marlow's, Adrius's, Swift's and Silvan's story to a great ending.

While Garden of the Cursed was a bit heavier on the magic and secrets itself, in Masquerade we delved deeper into relationships - be it the romantic ones or the familial ones, and I thoroughly enjoyed that! Also give me all and any Swift and Silvan content and I will be so happy hehe.

Masquerade of the Heart was another KRP win and I can't wait to see what she writes next! Here's to all the epic queernormative worlds Katy comes up with!