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.

I've been a big fan of Kayla Cottingham's work since her debut MY DEAREST DARKEST came out a few years ago. I loved that one and her second novel, THIS DELICIOUS DEATH, and have gotten many kiddos to borrow them from the library. PRACTICAL RULES FOR CURSED WITCHES is fairly different from those two in terms of horror style--DEAREST DARKEST and DELICIOUS DEATH go for the gore and scares, while CURSED WITCHES is more of a cozy fantasy with splashes of horror and blood mixed in. All three of her novels feature found families, self-acceptance, and those ooey-gooey feelings of first love. Cottingham is the perfect author for today's Gen-Z youth and I am so happy teens and adults appreciate her work!

CURSED WITCHES is a lot of fun, particularly after the first few chapters when Delilah and Kieran meet and take off on their adventure to break Kieran's family curse. I loved the main and supporting characters, especially Santiago, Ariel, and Adelaide, and hope to see more of Klaus and Charlotte in the sequel. I adored the main trio of Delilah, Briar, and Kieran and chuckled throughout at their banter and smiled at their camaraderie. Like I said, Gen Z storytelling doesn't get much better than Kayla Cottingham. Get PRACTICAL RULES FOR CURSED WITCHES and her other two novels for the teens in your lives.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Delacorte Press for the ARC of this terrific novel in exchange for my honest and hopefully better-late-than-never review.

PRACTICAL RULES FOR CURSED WITCHES was cute, cozy, fun, and lighthearted. I had such a good time reading this story.

I was excited by the concept of this book, but I ended up being disappointed by the execution of it.

The main character was frustratingly dense. She forgot key things that would be top of her mind if she cared about breaking the curses as much as she claimed. She couldn't understand any "clues" even when they basically were spelled out for her.

The other problem I had with this book was connected to this. The main character didn't do much to advance the plot herself. Almost every problem or decision was solved by someone else on her behalf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy, sapphic, witches.. Need I really say more? Add this one to your tbr now!!

arc via netgalley

This story was cute, cozy, endearing, and fun. I found myself entertained with the lighthearted tail of broken curses, found love. The relationship in the story was not forced or overdone. The entire story was refreshing.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This had a lot going on. Curses, quests, finding your place in the world, romance, and tons of action. It was a unique read! I loved the magical realm the characters lived in. I would happily read more from that land.

Briar was not my favorite character but grew on me at the end. I loved that the story focused on found family. And I absolutely love Delilah!

This was such a fun witchy must adventure. The concept and use of curses in this story were super interesting and I found all the characters and their relationships engaging. There were a few times that seemed a little to convenient, but it was all worth it in the end.