This is a soft DNF for me. I liked the first chapter a lot and I think a lot of people will really like this one! I just have not had the time to really sit down and do an in-depth read.

Delilah's life is a conundrum. By birth she is cursed, like all the women in her family, to never find love yet she is also the daughter of a famous cursebreaker. When it comes time to claim her Calling and become a full-fledged witch, Deliah is determined to break her family's curse. Unfortunatley Callings can be hijacked. In comes Kieran, the son of the powerful Pelumbra family. He hijackes Delia's calling by claiming his curse will cause him to die. Every generation the Pelumbra family has a set of twins that are doomed. In Kieran's case his twin Briar is draining his life and magic making him weaker and her into some kind of a monster.

The three joined together to try and figure out a way to break the Pelumbra curse before it is too late. The family is of no help and as it turns out neither is Delilah's famous father. Tension also arises between Delilah and Briar. With so many distractions and road blocks, fulfilling her Calling will be tougher than expected.

This was a wonderful story that had me hooked from page one. I will be recommending this during readers advisory.

Cottingham has written a perfect decent ya fantasy with sapphic romance. Something about the start of the novel just felt really slow and never drew in readers the way one would hope. Overall, if you can get into the book, it's a fun read, but it wasn't engaging enough to hold attention for long.

This was such a small, sweet, heartwarming, cozy fantasy. I love it when cozy fantasies also have something at stake, and still manage to have compelling, complex characters. I loved the characters as well as the story and the mystery and adventure this group of friends are embarking on throughout this book. It was such a nice change from the emotionally draining book I read previously.

Practical Rules for Cursed Witches is a queer fantasy romance from author Kayla Cottingham.

The magic system is set up well, and we get pulled into this desperate race to solve a deadly curse. With engaging characters, I am excited for book two!

I really enjoyed Kayla Cottingham’s previous two YA novels, but this one didn’t do it for me for some reason.

Practical Rules for Cursed Witches is a sweet, cozy YA fantasy with magic, curses, and found family. Delilah’s journey to break her family’s curse is filled with engaging characters, witty banter, and LGBTQIA+ representation.

A soft, sweet love story with a sharp edge set in a fascinating fantasy world. One of my favorite curse stories I've read in a while.

Found family is one of my favorite tropes and I think the author wrote it so well!! This was such a wonderful YA story and I can't wait for book 2!

I got this as a NetGalley arc! The cover attracted me to it mostly! It’s a cute lovely book I’d even consider it cozy despite it being about trying to break a curse that would lead to death if they don’t break it.

This is a great YA romantic fantasy, in the vein of witchy adult favorites like Practical Magic and more recent, cozier fare. I can't believe how well Cottingham pivoted from their earlier immaculate horror novels...they can do both so well!

This is a little above middle grades to me. I can see it as a 13+ read. The found family aspect is perfect for teens. It also has a lot of great representation of lgbtqia+ teen and adult romance without anything more suggestive than dancing and a kiss or two.

# Practical Rules for Cursed Witches
# 7/21/2024 ~ 11/3/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0

In order to keep their magic, witches must complete their Calling within 6 months. All the females in her family are cursed with never finding true love. Delilah decides her Calling will be to break her family's curse. Unfortunately, Delilah's Calling is highjacked by Kieran Pelumbra who enacts the Rite of Morality, meaning that someone suffering from a deadly curse can ask for a witch's assistance. The Pelumbra's are a wealthy family, but every generation a set of twins are cursed to drain the life from each other. One must die to keep the wealth going. Delilah and Kieran set off to find his twin, Briar, before the curse kills him.

I loved this book and read it so quickly! I became invested in the story from the first chapter, and adored these characters. The characters all had distinct personalities, that you couldn't help but fall in love with. Delilah is such a fun main character. She is witty, and fiercely protective. Also love that she was a fellow 6 foot female, we love tall representation! Briar was so grumpy, and I loved watching her and Delilah grow closer. I loved the banter between them! Kieran was a sweet little angel and needs to be protected at all costs. The found family aspect is so well done. I thought the plot was extremely engaging and I couldn't get enough of these characters trying to break both curses.

I wish there was another book following these characters, I don't want to be done with them quite yet.

I really enjoyed this book, it was super cute!! I loved the plot about having to do a “calling” (with an unexpected twist!) and found it interesting especially since I haven’t read anything like it before! I wasn’t too sure about the romance aspect between two characters but the development was pretty darn cute and I became a fan in the end! Definitely a cozy, feel-good read!

PRACTICAL RULES FOR CURSED WITCHES is an absolutely charming, magical story. If you like found friendships, magic, curses, and a will-they-won't-they romance thread, then this is the story for you.

A great found family read! Teen witch Delilah has to break a family curse in order to keep her magic. She is joined on her Calling by a cast of characters who you grow to love too. A quick, cozy read!

Sapphic representation, cozy vibes, and magic: what more could I possibly as for. Practical rules for Cursed witches was an absolute delight and I am going to be recommending it for all my bookish crew looking for witchy Autumn reads. I do wish that the story was a bit longer but also suspect that this comes simply from the fact I was not ready to leave these characters behind.

this book was cozy, sapphic, and a delight to read. I am excited to read more from this author! I enjoyed reading this book.

I really wanted to love this one but I just couldn't care as much for the characters. I did like learning about the curses for each of the characters that are included and that was what kept me reading more. I also enjoyed the sapphic elements included and I loved the potential romance between our main character and Briar.

I will forever read anything Kayla Cottingham writes. I love her writing style and the characters she creates. She so easily creates these worlds that stick in my head and characters that stay in my heart. Will forever recommend her work.