This book was kind of a letdown. It wasn't supper impressed with Bewtiched, but I had high hopes for Bespelled. Maybe I set them too high. I'm thinking that this particular series is just not for me. But it might be for you.

Here is what to expect:
-second in a series - read in order
-mystery
-bonds
-witches

Ultimately, it didn't work for me for a few reasons.
-The Villan went soft
-The magic system did not make sense
-Build up to a showdown that so neatly resolved itself, that it left me wondering why the book was so long

I think this was better than the first book but again, something was missing for me. I guess I expected more angst, more cryingshakingthrowingup. I wished the writing was more... polished? And the heroine sometimes unnerved me but overall it was a nice book.

This is the 2nd book in the Bewitched series and and I was so excited to pick up where we left off from the first book that I absolutely plowed through this book in two days. I absolutely love Selene and Memnon and was so excited to get glimpses of their previous life together, though I will say I wished there were more flashbacks of that previous life, I felt like having more context of everything that happened back then would have rounded things out more for me. But I know that a novella is in the works that will dive into that past further so for now I'll just have to be patient.


There were some moments that felt a little rushed on, such as when Selene and Memnon finally talked things out and got together, I kind of wanted the conflicted hostile feelings to last a while longer(particularly on Memnon's part), maybe that makes me weird but I like the conflict of love/hate and anticipation of the resolution and the reluctant desire, angry Memnon is a hot Memnon *shrugs* lol. But honestly that's pretty much my only critique, I loved the book, I loved the characters, and I am so sad I'll have to wait another year to read what happens next!

ARC was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes and what to expect:
- soulmates
- murder mystery
- witches and intriguing magic system
- reincarnation
- morally grey MMC
- (former) lovers to enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- groveling

A thousand lives wouldn’t be enough with you, but I have to content myself with just this one.

I didn’t think it would be possible to love this even more than Bewitched but I did — this sequel was sooo good!
The witch murder mystery continues with new players on the board and y’all are not ready for all the crazy revelations and plot twists. We’ve barely even scratched the surface of this intriguing world and its workings in Bewitched and the sequel really amps up the stakes and deep dives into the magic system even more. The plot had me screaming at my kindle and I was so invested, I couldn’t put it down.

The relationship between Selene and Memnon was everything. The groveling? Chef’s kiss. After that ending in book one, he has to earn back her trust and she really made him work for it. With her memories back, Selene begins to remember her old life as Roxilana and we learn more about their former lives and what really happened with the curse. The spice was spicing in this book — Memnon has such a mouth on him. The character and relationship development was top tier and definitely made this a five star read.
This series has quickly become one of my all time favorites and I can’t wait to see what happens next. And can we talk about that ENDING???? I need the next book more than my next breath but in the meantime, I can’t wait for The Curse that Binds to read more about Memnon and Roxilana’s story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bloom Books, and Laura Thalassa for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars!!

Reading Laura's books is like eating the perfect piece of cake- its simple, delightful, and fills you up! There's lots of groveling Memnon and stubborn Selene and protective Nero, action and mystery but without dragged out resolution, and continued building out of the world of witches and lycanthropes, and other supernatural beings. This picks up right where Bewitched left off, with Selene having recovered all her memories, Memnon having just framed her for all the murders on campus, and Selene's arrest for said murders.

This book is fast-paced, and I loved how we got insights with Selene and Memnon to learn more about their past life in ancient times! It helped us understand more of the whys behind everything from the first book, and really sets up his journey to win her back over! This also does a lot more of a deep dive into the mysteries on campus, introduces some folks involved, and expands the options for what all could be coming from it!!

I absolutely ate this up- and I loved seeing how consistent Memnon was there, how steadfast he was in his goal of trying to prove his love for Selene, all while she was working through everything she had learned about her past life and is learning to trust someone with her life. The bonds, both literal and metaphorical, that they forged and developed felt so earned for their story!

Thank you so much to Laura Thalassa and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review! Looking forward to what comes next...Beloved? Bemused?

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: cliffhanger
POV: single 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: housefire (non-fatal), torture, murder, possession, drugging, human trafficking, kidnapping, gore, threats, blackmail
standalone: book 2 in the Bewitched series
final thoughts: WOWWWW I’ve been anxiously waiting for this book to get myself off the cliffhanger that was book 1 and this DID NOT DIAPPOINT. Another 5⭐ read from Laura Thalassa with so many tropes, an incredibly intriguing plot, great characters, and intense action and drama. This series has everything, and I can’t wait to see where Selene and Memnon go from here! What an edge-of-your-seat adventure this series is!!

read this book if you love

😬 angst
🥰 nicknames
🏝️ forced proximity (mind connection)
🤫 hidden secrets
💓 slowburn
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
🫡 big MMC
😠 bully
🖤 dark romance
💞 fated mates
🤜 lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies
🧠 “it’s always been you”
🪄 magic
❓ mystery
😜 over the top, jealous, possessive MMC
💖 paranormal romance
🌀 plot twists
🗡️ revenge
2️⃣ 2nd chance romance
👺 secret identity
🐺 shifters
🔮 supernatural creatures- witches, werewolves, fae
🧙‍♀️ witches
🌍 world building
☠️ “touch her and die”

Bespelled
Shortly after finishing Bewitched I read a comment somewhere saying can we get a little grovelling from Memnon and it made me guffaw. I was absolutely ecstatic to see that exact thing happen pretty much at the start of the book 🙌🏼🤭😂.

This book is an absolute wild ride. If you’re familiar with Thalassa’s work you already know to expect fantastic writing - the sense of humour of the FMC and her inner monologue is hysterical, great spice, character development, action packed, did I mention spice?? In my opinion the spice has ramped up a notch or two in book two and that’s saying something because I found Bewitched had a good amount of spice. Twists and turns in the plot keep you engaged and guessing to the very end. Already can’t wait for book 3!

I wanted to like this book, but the characters were both annoying and bland. I liked the plot's premise; it seemed intriguing. Unfortunately, this isn't the book for me.

We hit the ground running in Bespelled with Selene waking up with her memories but imprisoned for the murders that Memnon worked so hard to frame her for in Bewitched. With the return of those memories, Memnon finally learns why Roxilana cursed him.

When he realizes the gravity of what he has done and that he can’t blame anyone but himself, he takes drastic action and offers Selene a bond that makes him heed her every command. Meanwhile, Selene is plagued by the knowledge she cannot stop whoever is killing witches and forcing bonds on supernaturals alone, so she is desperate enough to accept Memnon’s offer.

With darker forces at work and the looming possibility that anyone could be an enemy, Selene will have to guard something more precious than her back if she wants to make it out of this alive… because Memnon is only bound to her until she falls in love with him.

After reading Bewitched, it landed firmly into my #1 new series read of the year, so believe me when I say I am so thrilled to have been able to read this ARC. I came in with high expectations and Laura knocked it out of the park for me! I know the second book in the series can feel like it’s just stringing you along until you get to the end, but this book didn’t feel that way.

The reader gets so much insight into Selene’s character. Laura did a great job conveying her mix of emotions in this book. You can truly feel the internal struggle between the memories from her life as Roxilana and her experiences in this life.

I was heartbroken when Memnon realized the truth. Although I love a toxic king (sue me) I also love that he knew immediately that he had to go nuclear before Selene would even consider trusting him again. I didn’t think it was possible but Memnon got SO MUCH HOTTER in this book. I’m serious, gird your loins y’all.


That being said, I feel like this book answered enough basic questions to make the story a satisfying read, but left me with enough new information and questions that I can’t wait to read the next installment in Selene and Memnon’s story!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, @Read_Bloom for allowing me to write an honest review of the ARC for Bespelled!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

My review was posted to Goodreads and Instagram on 5/14/24.

Amazon review will be submitted on 5/17/24 when it is available for review and will posted on my profile within 48 hours.

For those that enjoyed Bewitched, Bespelled is even better than its predecessor. I did not like Memnon in the first book, but either he grew on me or their past backstory made their connection make more sense. The mystery behind the disappearing witches was a little strange in the end, but maybe it is because there's more to be revealed in the next book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC to review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
There’s nothing better and more delicious than a villanous character groveling and steping up for the heroine after he rollaly fvcked up 🧎‍♂️‍➡️🧎‍♂️‍➡️🧎‍♂️‍➡️🧎‍♂️‍➡️
I liked this book much better than the first, the plot was ploting, there’s romance, mystery, 🌶️🌶️🌶️, action and great characters. I really like laura thalassa's brand of fantasy, shee feeds us with psycho teddy bears heroes that only she can write 🤭 If you like villains being unhinged and pathetic for their women you'll enjoy this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What.... happened? I enjoyed Bewitched which was why I requested the ARC of Bespelled but I feel like this book took a total left turn. Selene makes the same mistakes OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Where was the growth and development? I do think LT turns it around and the story irons out the kinks that left me questioning what the heck was going on by the end BUT... that was rough. Like a lot of other series, the second book just comes across as filler. I hope in the next book we see Selene and Memnon as a strong couple with less of the same mistakes happening again and again.

Book 2 starts off right where the first one ended. You also learn what really happened to Memnon and Selene in the past and it made Memnons reaction/betrayal in the first book even more upsetting.

I do feel like there should’ve been more groveling from Memnon. He did try making up for his betrayal but I just feel like it should’ve been more. I also don’t like that he keeps intentionally keeping Selene in the dark about certain things. I guess we’ll find out why in book 3..

The other characters in the first book take a more active role in this one too. I ended up actually not liking Kane or many of the other wolves, like at all. If you read, you’ll probably see why.

We’re finally introduced to the villains behind the mysterious deaths and if you’ve read Laura’s Rhapsodic series, you’ll recognize the name of 1 of them. I can’t really say my other thoughts without spoiling some parts in the book.. so, all in all, I really liked book 2 and can’t wait for the 3rd!!

Rating: 4.25⭐️

Okay so I LOVED Bewitched and I could not wait for the second installment in this series. Let me say that Laura Thalassa did it again and this book did not disappoint! This book picks up right where we left off in Bewitched.

There was so much more character development in this book versus book 1, and it was nice to get a better sense of Selene and Memnon's history. Also, c'mon, the groveling and mouth on Memnon 🥵. Halfway through the book, I thought I had it all figured out, but nope, everything I was anticipating was completely thrown off course in a normal fashion.

One thing I would love to see in a future book is a few chapters from Memnon's POV, as he (I am 115% positive) is up to some questionable things when away from Selene.

I seriously cannot wait until the next book because now I have sooo many more questions!

Read this book if you enjoy:
🖤 Witches/sorcerers
🖤 Groveling
🖤 Touch her and 💀 vibes
🖤 Enemies to lovers
🖤 Obsessive MMC
🖤 Soulmates
🖤 Murder mystery

I definitely definitely recommend checking out this series! Bespelled comes out May 28, 2024, which gives you enough time to breeze through Bewitched ♥️

thank you so much to netgalley & bloom books publishing for the advance reader copies!!

4.25💫

this was one of my most anticipated sequels for 2024 & it honestly was great! there’s something about Laura thalassa’s reading that is so addictive & easy for me to read so I feel like I always enjoy her books! This one was no exception.

The story picks up right where we left off in bewitched. I appreciate that Laura was able to remind the readers of what happened previously because i definitely needed a refresher. Not going to lie the first 20% of the book I had a hard time getting through which is why this book didn’t get a 5 star. Around the 30% mark is when it finally clicked in my brain and I BINGED the rest of this.

This book (& the first) are perfect books for the fall & around Halloween. The spooky ambiance, and vibes were so good and honestly one of my favorite parts of the book.

Memnon is a perfect morally gray love interest and the way he’s so obsessed with Selene??? Yeah im gonna eat it up everytime.

Things got a little messy at the end, it just felt like so much was happening all at once but that’s a nitpicky complaint. Also going need book 3 STAT. that cliffhanger 😭😭

thanks again to Laura & bloom for the arc copies 🤍

I've a bit of a dual opinion about this book. Loved half of it, didnt know what to think about the other half. I loved The Four Horsemen and The Bargainer. They were on my top series in 2021/2022. But this book has been a mix of feelings and I'm not sure how to rate it. I definitely want to trust Laura. I have this thing of not judging worldbuilding in a fantasy book cause it's the author's imagination. It's her world and I'll accept anything they write as true. And despite some details make me uncomfortable, I wont rate it down for that cause its my opinion. I still want to know what happens next cause I loved half of this book and I still want to have Memmon in my book crush list.

Bespelled
By Laura Thalassa
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Just like the first book in the series, I loved this one as well! I was a little worried that it would be a filler second book, but it held its own and I really enjoyed it.

I liked that pretty early in the book we got to learn what memories Selene had unlocked and the back story of what happened to her and Memnon in their last life. We also learn about what Memnon has been up to since joining the modern world and how it connects to the witches' disappearances. I loved seeing how Memnon and Selene rebuild their relationship and Memnon's devotion to Selene.

I can't believe I now have to wait for the 3rd book and there's no release date for it. :(

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#bespelled #laurathalassa #fiction #fantasy #magic #witches #newadult #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #idratherbereading #readingchallenge #book #bookrecommendations #bookreview #librarian #booklover #bookdragon #bookworm #reader #reading

“𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬. 𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥.”

Bespelled is a spicy romantasy following witch Selene and is book 2 in the series. I really loved the first book, but Bespelled really exceeded my expectations and was even better than the first! This installment was much darker and spicier and I couldn’t get enough. Selene’s world is so intriguing and the book is very plot heavy, but it never once felt overwhelming. And the way the relationship between Selene and Memnon progresses had me swooning! I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series! 5⭐️

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
🕯️Witches, sorcerers, werewolves
🔥Magical college
🕯️Fated mates
🔥Enemies to lovers
🕯️Touch her and ☠️
🔥Past lives/reincarnation

“𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

“𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧.“

“𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈’𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐤.“

I enjoy fantasy however this was really not my thing. The characters felt under-developed and I couldn’t engage with the female lead that made bade decisions again and again. Sorry not for me. Thank you tom#netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Overall (non-spoiler) Thoughts: While I found the story here really compelling and had a hard time putting it down, I think, much like "Bewitched", I am just wanting MORE from this universe. I think the world that we have seen so far is actually really interesting, but as we move through the story so much of it is glossed over, not really explained, or ignored altogether. I think that the bones of a really great and enduring series are here, but I am worried at some point the annoyance I have over wanting more information is going to outweigh the really good driving energy that we've had so far otherwise. If you were a fan of "Bewitched", I think you're going to really like this title (and it ends on a big cliffhanger too, so buckle up!), but if you were hoping for more fleshing-out of the world and the lore behind things, you may be more frustrated. I still enjoyed the pacing enough in this story that I will read the next installment, but I really hope the prequel that is in the works (or possibly already out there, I may have missed it), or a really dense third installment can help quench my thirst for some more ~atmosphere~.





















-----------------------------------SPOILERS-----------------------------------
Pros: I really loved the witchy vibes that came through in this book. I liked learning more about the school traditions, and I thought it added great atmosphere to the story. I also was compelled to keep reading (I got through this in two sessions), and the pacing was fast enough to keep me hooked. I also like that we were left on a cliffhanger that, at least for now, keeps Memnon in that morally grey/enemies territory. Now that they're officially ~in love~ I am concerned that things are going to quickly go completely on the rail kind of like what we see with Rhysand/Feyre in the ACOTAR series where everything is either saccharine sweet or getting weirdly controlling with a clear power dynamic/imbalance. Also - and I fully admit this is extremely petty and a personal preference for my reading tastes - I am SO PLEASED that we didn't end with a pregnancy trope, because the number of times birth control got brought up really had me worried. I am sick to death of nineteen-year-old teenage brides and their 2,000 year old baby daddies, and I fully acknowledge this is 100% a me problem because they show up in the Venn diagram of things I love and things I hate to read in the romantasy genre. I am concerned that's where we're headed in Book 3, however, but I will need to know what happens next so I guess I'll have to deal.

Cons: Like the first book, I think for me this series' biggest issue is that it's got the potential to be a really great, fleshed-out, and lush story. There are so many things that are just overlooked, not explained (and not in a this-will-be-relevant-later way), and quite honestly in some places forgotten. It's like looking at a rough draft for a semester project where you have to turn it in for editing at various points for the professor to give you guidance, and we still have three months left for all the detail work to be added in now that the main plot is sketched out. We have what appears to be a vast world of supernatural deities and we know little to nothing about them except when they're brought up for plot purposes. Same with the witch school (who doesn't love a good witch school, and it really does just feel at this point that the school is a convenient setting for the vibes instead of this thing that was supposed to be the center of Selene's desires), same with Selene's previous life as Roxilana (although I think there's a prequel book or novella in the works), same with the casts of side characters. I also really dislike the weak "love triangle" Selene has with the werewolves, and, as above, it feels like they just become relevant to move the plot along instead of being their own interesting culture or thing to explore. Same with Sybil! Also, on a bit of a petty note sometimes conversations are started without a subject (e.g. instead of saying "I need you right now", the sentence would be "Need you now") and it's happened enough between books 1 and 2 where it doesn't seem like an editing error and it REALLY throws me out of the story.