Ummm wow… just wow…

I’ve read lots of ARC’s, but this one has truly landed its self on my top 10 list! I have never been so swept away and taken to every character as I was in this book. The time that was invested into turning this world into such a mind blowing experience is evident in every chapter.

Memnon and Selene, have transformed so much from the first book and I truly thought I loved that book but this one has taken the cake! The character development in this book surpasses the first and made every page all the more magical.

Truly, my favorite thing about this series is that not only do you get the fantasy and spice, but Laura wanted you to think and really hang on her every word as she turned this into a mystery of its own!

Laura, sign me up already to read book 3 because if it’s anything like this masterpiece I need the next book NOW!

Bespelled is the second book in the Bewitched series. This is the second chance love story (mostly) of Selene Bowers, a pretty powerful witch and Memnon, the man she cursed to sleep for two thousand years in her last life. They are soulmates, bound to each other through space and time, but that doesn't mean it is going to be smooth sailing for them. Especially since Memnon is pissed he was placed in stasis for two millennia and can't wait to get his revenge, even if that revenge is on his soulmate.

When we left our characters at the end of Bewitched, Selene has tapped into the memories of her past life and she now knows what happened and why she put Memnon to sleep. He is dangerous and brutal and a conqueror from a different time. But he is learning all of the rules of this new metal jungle and he is starting to make some plays to put himself back in power. He loves Selene, but it is complicated by the betrayal he believes she perpetrated on him in her past life. But, what if there were good reasons, what if he made a mistake? How will he earn back the trust of the woman he is bound to through the ages so they might build a life together.

Meanwhile, witches and other magic welding creatures are dying in brutal ways and Selene wants to get to the bottom of it. Not just to protect herself but to also save some of her new found friends in the coven. Memnon will use all of his influence and newfound power to help the woman he loves and earn back some of the trust broken between them. God help any who harm or go after his mate, he will make them all pay. The stakes are high and no one is to be trusted.

***“Call me a monster, call me a devil, but you and I both know I will shatter the rules for you .” He stares at me fervently. “Always for you.”***

I liked this story better than Bewitched, we get to see some of Selene's past life that really added credence to her power. She is growing into the sorceresses she is meant to be, even if she is unsure about the man she is fated to be with. I adore Memnon's character. He is not a nice guy; he is dangerous but unfailing loyal to those he calls family. He is also so tricky; it was fun to watch how he slowly lulls Selene back into his bed and finds ways to get into her heart as well. He is a predator and will be patient until it is the right moment to pounce and win his prey. He remembers the fierce warrior Selene used to be in her last life and knows she is going to need to find that woman warrior if they are going to survive against their enemies.

There were so many danger filled and tense moments in Bespelled, I was on the edge of seat though all of them. The danger always felt right around the corner. There are plenty of sexy times though to enjoy between the bouts of certain death. The jump to Memnon and Selene's previous life added a lot of context the story and fleshed out our characters well. I sometimes got a little frustrated with Selene's refusal of their soulmate bond, but it did help to build some of the sexual tension between them.

Memnon, I'm sure, still has plenty of secrets and even though they have tracked down some of the bad doers, there are more out there to be found and an enemy from their past to thwart still. I'm very interested to see what Laura Thalassa brings to the series next. She has written "bad men" very well in the past and I'm so excited to see what our unapologetic warlord is going to do in the modern world to take the power he craves.

***“Is this where you stab me and free yourself once and for all?” he says in Sarmatian.
“Because,” he continues slowly, his eyes smoldering , “I promise you, if you don’t, I will work to tie you so tight to me you won’t eventually know where you end and I begin.”***

"Bespelled" is an excellent follow-up to "Bewitched". We rejoin Selene and Memnon immediately after the ending of "Bewitched" and the plot takes off from there. Memnon and Selene's dynamic in this book is much different - Memnon, having seriously screwed the pooch, has to find a way to atone for his bad behavior and Selene is unwilling to make it too easy on him. The pacing was good and the spice was spicing. One of the plot twists toward the end was easy to see coming but the overall ending remained a bit of a surprise. This book really showed Selene coming into her own, which after seeing her start as a sort of broken down character in "Bewitched" is really quite lovely. I will definitely reach for the next book in the series as I am eager to see more of Memnon and Selene's journey - and Nero!

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.

I have been waiting for this book for so long!!! Laura, you could have published it the day after Bewitched and it would have been too long a wait. Anyway, I am a big fan of Laura's work and this did not disappoint. I loved how the MMC became so protective and loving when he realised this wasn't all theFMC's fault. I loved that the FMC stayed mad but that she was open to forgiveness. In the end the cause of the murders and bondings was such a surprise and plot twist! I can't wait to see how it all ends in the next one!

Big thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, Bloom books and Laura Thalassa for this early release copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! It was even better than the first one! The first book had tension and angst and suspense - and this book took it to the next level.
I found myself falling in love with Memnon. Touch her and die is one of my favorite tropes, and he is the embodiment of it.
There were a few things I guessed would happen - which made me want to yell “I knew it! Yes!” at 2am, but the bigger things I didn’t see coming.
I loved how each character had a distinct personality, even Nero, who I love so much. I loved watching Selene find her inner badass. And the flashback absolutely destroyed me.
Basically I need the third book yesterday.

I felt like the world building that happened in the first book delivered in spades during this book. Bespelled capitalized on everything we learned in Bewitched and then some.

Selene and Memnon finally share what their past history consists of and Memnon realizes his interpretation wasn't accurate. Selene finds more power and understanding in knowing her own past. Together the two of them are both stronger and yet sometimes a bit weaker just because they are still trying to figure out how to work together. Memnon is determined that he and Selene are destined but she isn't.

This book was a good continuation from the first one. I really like this series and find it to be original and clever. I'm looking forward to the next one. In my opinion, there's so much more left to be done with this couple and their story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

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

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Now that Selene Bowers has her memories and her power back, there's a thousand or so years and a lifetime of memories between her and Memnon to reclaim — plus a dozen or so murders they need to solve.

Simple right? Except partnering with an ancient sorcerer is never as easy nor as simple as it sounds, and soon, both Selene and Memnon find themselves in much deeper and more treacherous ground than they ever could have imagined.

Bespelled is different from the first installment — in a good way. Now that we know Selene and Memnon's backstory, there's less going on. And when I say that, I in no way mean this is boring. There's still plenty of murders to be solved after all. But I enjoyed seeing Selene reconcile her past life with the one she currently has, and how she used both sides of herself to reclaim her power and who she is as a person, and where her soul mate fits into this new life.

Laura Thalassa certainly has a way of pulling me headfirst into a story, and I'll never get tired of it. Give me alllll the morally gray supernatural beings please — and the third book while you're at it so I can recover from that killer (😉) cliffhanger!!

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Bespelled was published on May 28, 2024. Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

thank you netgalley for a free arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
yeah maybe i got this for free but im liking this series so much im definitely gonna buy a physical copy! this one was filled with action, angst, romance, a murder mystery, and a cliffhanger that has me impatiently waiting for the next book! i think the writing, although not the best i've ever read, is definitely getting better and there were way less typos. overall excited to continue this series

I want to start this review by saying that I am a huge Laura Thalassa fan. I own many copies of The Bargainer and Four Horseman series and that they are some of my absolute overall favourite series.

The Bewitched series sadly does not have the same magic that the previously mentioned ones do. I think it might be easier to do this as a things I liked and a things I didn't like kinda review.

Things I liked:
- the recap at the start of the book. I read Bewitched when it first came out ages ago and this was helpful because I didn't remember a whole lot that had happened
- the flashback to Selene/Roxi's past and the reason while Memnon was in the tomb. Memnon messed up big time
- the first third of the book in particular had some funny lines that made me snort which I can't remember right now through the cloud of disappointment and rage that came with the last 2/3 of the book

Things I didn't like:
- it wasn't really explained how Selene got release from the murder charges. Yeah I assume that Memnon did his memory thing but I felt that this was very glossed over
- the whole Kane thing. I despise love triangles and while this was only love triangle adjacent, Selene made it very clear that she was not interested and had a soul mate. Did that stop from Kane from trying to get her to pick him. a big fat NOPE
- the whole Selene becoming a friend of the pack and then not 30 seconds later when she actually needs them to help when Nero is being attacked, where are they? Oh we can't possibly cross the boundary into the witches territory...what a useless friendship this was.
- every single stupid decision Selene made. Oh lets break curfew to go to a bonfire party while also knowing that there are evil people trying to get you and oh look at that, bad stuff happens. Oh you've barely had one drink and are feeling drunk. Yeah sweetheart, its been spiked. And instead of going with the person that is trying to help you, you decide to run away because werewolves don't tell witches what to do. Are you freaking kidding me? Selene was just so immature some times and yeah she's supposed to be 18 or something but this was beyond stupid
- speaking of beyond stupid. The whole lack of contraceptive thing. You've had unprotected sex how many times and yeah you need to take a contraceptive potion but there's so much going on right now, that you can think about that later. I swear, if there was a pregnancy at the end of the book, I was going to throw my kindle across the room.
- what did Memnon do that got the attention of the human and supernatural police? Its never actually explained other than he is some mass murderer
- this felt soooooooo long and drawn out with much repetition. I got to chapter 30-something where there was a big fight scene and after pushing myself to keep reading to this point, I thought I would stay up late to finish the book, only to remember that there are 50-something chapters. Needless to say, I went to bed.

You know, the more I rage about this, the more I want to drop my rating. Let's put it at 2.5 stars because I actually finished the book rather than DNFing it.

I am not sure I will continue with the series because I really don't like the characters and don't care about them in the slightest at this point. Maybe my rage will simmer down in the time it takes book 3 to come out and I'll go back in to find out what happens. Or I'll find a summary somewhere on the internet to satisfy any curiosity I might have. Or I will live my life happily never knowing what happened.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom Books for the eARC.

Thank you Sourcebooks/Bloom Books for the ARC!

This was such a fun sequel to Bewitched! I have been having a blast with this series, it has been fun and exciting, filled with funny moments between our MCs. After the cliffhanger of book one, I was excited to see where book two would go and it was awesome! Mystery and intrigue that spread beyond the school borders was thrilling. I loved the progression of the relationship between our MCs and the struggle that our FMC went through when dealing with her feelings for the MC.

I am so excited to see what is next for this series!

"Beneath the surface of my soulmate lives a monster, one who loves me and little else."

This book features a deliciously morally grey male main character and a captivating plot that took me on an emotional rollercoaster. As we delve deeper into the dark past of the main characters, the mysteries surrounding Selene become even more intense.

Memnon emerges as possibly one of the most morally ambiguous love interests I've encountered (at least to the best of my recollection). His complex character stirs up mixed feelings - he clearly loves her deeply, yet his behaviour often teeters on the edge of douchebaggery. He takes the phrase 'touch her and you die' to a whole new level, and there's certainly no shortage of steamy scenes in this book.

I've really enjoyed witnessing the development of their relationship, as together they form an undeniable force. Selene's transformation into a more formidable character is also a welcome evolution! However, I hope that the events at the end of the book don't introduce unnecessary tension between them, as it wasn't entirely unexpected. Based on hints throughout this book, I believe they will need each other even more for a much larger overarching plot.

"Call me a monster, call me a devil, but you and I both know I will fucking shatter the rules for you."

Uhm okay... whatever trope involves a partner slaughtering a hallway full of people to get to their love is what I always want to be reading in my books.

"What happened to them?".... "They were in my way."

Like, seriously?! That's the kinda energy I want. What does Laura Thalassa put in her books? Listen, this, once again, was not a literary masterpiece but it was definitely a fun time to read. These are the epitome of entertainment reads. Granted, the book was a little on the long side but I really had fun with the twists along the way. And the cliffhanger?? I can't wait for the next book to be out. These are the perfect reads for a little fantasy escape.

Bespelled continues the story of embattled soulmates, Selene and Memnon, who have been bound together by fate and magic since they met in the ancient world. The book picks up right where Bewitched ends, with Selene in jail after Memnon framed her for grisly murders of several fellow witches at Henbane Coven. When Memnon learns that he was completely wrong about Selene’s role in his near-death 2000 years ago, he is ready to spend the rest of his life groveling for her forgiveness and requests that she agree to a forged bond. The humor and the pathos in this novel stems from the unplanned repercussions of their forged bond, and the irony that it doesn't make an iota of difference when it comes to Memnon's uncanny ability to frustrate Selene at nearly every turn while she tries to identify the real killer.

It’s the push and pull dynamic between Memnon and his Queen that makes this series so much fun, and so very sexy! I love that Memnon and Selene are constantly arguing about each other’s questionable judgment and impetuousity, but when it comes to Selene determining that vengeance is due, Memnon doesn’t even blink and runs to gather his weapons.

Laura Thalassa is one of my favorite authors, and Bespelled doesn't disappoint. It may also be the spiciest novel that Laura has written to date. [Fans self madly.] Memnon is a bad ass on the battlefield, and to no one’s surprise, is also a beast between the sheets. And for everything Selene has had to go through over the last 2000 years because of this guy, the girl deserves it! Bespelled really takes off when Selene realizes she’ll never beat Memnon at the game, shrugs her shoulders, and joins him. The ensuing fireworks are everything you knew they would be.

I enjoyed getting to see Memnon in different situations that show us how powerful his magic is and the various ways he wields it. Similarly, now that Selene’s own curse has been lifted, we learn more about her abilities, and that she can harness earth and blood magic. I am a big fan of Kane and the Marin Pack, and we get to spend some great time with the wolves in this book as well. Those who ship Sybil and Sawyer like I do will also enjoy what happens between them.

There is a lot of suspense and action in this novel which counterbalances all of the personal drama going on between the characters. I loved the climax of the novel. I think the cliffhanger is predictable and the stakes don’t feel as high as the end of the first book, but I still can’t wait to see what happens next.

The only criticism I have with both Bewitched and Bespelled is that I think they’re both too long. There are so many subplots going on that I think the pacing gets weird in places and it’s hard to keep track of or even determine what the central storyline is. I think the series is still trying to figure out what it really wants to be. Is it a romance with a sprinkling of mystery and adventure? Or is it a mystery adventure with romantic elements?

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.

Rated 3.5 Stars

Bespelled had good moments especially coming down to the end. It was fast paced and action packed. However, the rest of it was slow moving with a few spots of action and revelation. It was also repetitive. Selene's and Memnon's relationship was a walking red flag. A lot of things didn't sit right with me in this book but I am interested in seeing how it all ends.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️


This is the second book after Bewitched. I was nervous because I wasn’t sure if Memnon was going to do enough groveling and if he was going to redeem himself. Thankfully he does!

I liked seeing more of Selenes past now that she has her memories back, and seeing exactly what happened when Memnon was entombed. It still had that murder mystery aspect to it, and of course it had magic. I didn’t like it as much as the first one, but it was still great! I do feel like Memnon lost a bit of his edge in this one, and the fact that he constantly calls Selene by a nickname and not her actual name bothers me.

Overall I DO recommend this series so far, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for this arc!

This was really good! I’m new to this world from Laura but have really enjoyed the world she’s building. The characters hold a lot of potential and I’m excited to see how they’ll uncover it all in the coming installments!

This is the second book in the series and I have to say I liked it better than the first book!! This one does start off a little rushed but it gets a lot better. There’s groveling, romance, mystery, suspense, and some great villains! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next and final book!!

I really enjoyed "Bespelled", the story is captivating, the mystery and the danger keep you on the edge of your seat. And the romance delivers - the tension and longing are written perfectly. Laura Thalassa has a special talent for dark romance and we are lucky to be blessed with it.

The only thing I found a bit frustrating though was that despite everything, Selene didn't seem to take the attacks seriously enough, no matter how much she talked about them. The book went into the pattern of: Selene or someone close to her get attacked --> she is traumatized and severely wounded --> next day she is miraculously over it and goes to a party throwing all cation to the wind --> gets attacked again. You'd think that after almost dying at least three times, she'd be more careful. It makes it easier to progress the plot this way, but feels out of character.

Other than that, a truly exciting read and I heartily recommend.

This book was EVERYTHING. Not only was it worth the wait but it was a complete (good) change from the storyline I’d imagined after the first book.

Picking up right where we left off in the first book, Selene must face the consequences of what Memnon did to her (the regaining of all her memories from her past life.). What ensues is one crazy event after another as we find out just what exactly is happening in the woods with all those murdered/missing girls.

This book was legit insane & I cannot recommend it enough!

Overall a great book! The plot was intriguing and captivating, making me want to come back for more. It did have its slow times, but kept a good pace otherwise. This book would be perfect for dark and epic fantasy lovers! Can’t wait to see what’s next