4/5 stars! This book was an interesting start to a new fantasy series. There were elements that were really enjoyable. The Fae history and development was great and I liked Alessia a lot. I just wish the magic-system and world-building were a bit more developed. Will be continuing the series.

When I read that this was Gilmore Girls with magic, I was immediately sold! And let me tell you, this book did not disappoint.

This book gave me all those modern day, cozy fantasy vibes which I didn't realise I had been itching for. Cursed was such a fun and enjoyable read with great character development. I absolutely LOVED Lily's character and could not fault her in the slightest.

I wasn't expecting this to turn into a murder mystery but I ate it up! Highly recommend.

The premise of this book is what drew me in. The idea of a runaway bride finding out she’s this magical creature when she’s stolen away from the aisle.

Overall I felt this could have been better executed. The love interest felt very insta love with no real connection between characters. It felt rushed and like there was no time to develop any actual feelings before we were expected to think alessia and Silas were head over heels.


The overall fantasy element felt very YA and even on the lower end of that with the simplicity to it.

Overall it wasn’t a bad book but it could have used some more fleshing out.

Overall

⭐️⭐️.5/5

This book was fast paced while also giving cozy fantasy vibes. It was such a quick read not only because of the page length but also the writing style was so digestible.

Great characters good storyline. Hooked from the first chapter. Thanks for letting me review. Would continue the series

This book was a miss for me. I did not care much for the characters, the book was more of a tell rather than show. It felt like an abridged version of a book. The concept seemed great but any chance of an easter egg that could have been properly hidden was more like a beacon of bright light in the middle of a field. The twist that it could have was apart of the description of the book which but it took around 80% for the main character to know Shes Fae. She didn't really question much, was more of a go with the flow, The excessive use of Okie Dokey was also bothersome instead of pressing further or questioning anything Millie or Silas was telling her she just said ok.

Having multiple POV and having more depth to the characters, their past and to the story line itself could have enhanced the book for me.

This was a fun, cute fantasy! It very much plays into the tropes and conventions of the genre, and the actual tone of the writing will be very familiar for frequent romantasy readers. Because of the familiarity of it all, the book feels very charming and cozy and is a delightful and quick fantasy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and LaManna Books for the chance to read this ARC!

Cursed is a charming, fast-paced fantasy romance that hooked me from the start. The story follows Alessia, a doctor stuck in a loveless engagement—until a mysterious man, Silas, crashes her wedding and whisks her away to a magical island cursed by dark forces.

The tone is light and enchanting, with just enough stakes to keep things interesting. I really enjoyed the fated mates trope and the slow-burn romance between Alessia and Silas. There are definite ACOTAR vibes, plus a mix of fae, found family, and self-discovery that made the story feel familiar yet fresh.

Overall, it’s a sweet, easy read with a satisfying balance of magic, romance, and adventure.

I hope we don't get a second book of this.
This was a quick easy read. I really enjoyed it.
On the day of her wedding a mysterious man takes her to an island that is slowly dying.
Fae, Olympus, magic

Cursed follows the story of Alessia, a woman who's whole life is about to be turned upside down, and this all starts when she is kidnapped...in the middle of her wedding!.

The mysterious man that was responsible for the kidnapping quickly changes her entire life, and makes her realise that she is much stronger than she ever allowed herself to believe, even encouraging her to finally stand up to her overbearing, often unkind parents.

An interesting, perfectly paced read that kept me engrossed from beginning to end.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.*

It was a cute, enchanting book. The tone wasn't too serious, making it a relaxing read. There were still stakes that kept me invested. The budding romance between Alessia and Silas had me coming back for more. I'm always a sucker for fated mates.

Alessia is a doctor bound to be married to a man she doesn't love. That is until a mysterious man named Silas crashes her wedding and takes her off to a magical island (some real ACOTAR vibes). There, she learns about her destiny to save the island from a curse that's destroying it. There's fae, fated mates, and found family. What more could a person ask for?

If you’re looking for a quick read with spice give this book a try. It reminded me of the once upon a time tv show. Magic cozy and spice it’s the perfect book to read when yogurt snuggled up on the couch in pajamas and a hot drink

The minute a dark, mysterious man showed up to "kidnap" the FMC, Alessia, from the middle of her wedding, I knew I wouldn't be able to put this book down. I was so confused by her parents not liking the name they gave her, refusing to use it, and why her parents were such trash. But by the end of the book, I was relieved to see her stand on her own, welcoming her found family and new home. This book played so hard with my emotions on who I should trust and who I should question. I loved how strong the main character was and how she truly discovered that strength throughout the book. It was definitely a fun and interesting read, and I can't wait to read more in the series.

3.75 ⭐️ A huge thank you to NetGalley & LaManna books for this e-arc! 🦋

Ever find yourself in the mood for a book that doesn’t require a full commitment to a complex, multi-layered fantasy world but still offers enough magic, intrigue, and swoon-worthy moments to keep you hooked? *Cursed* by Gina LaManna delivers exactly that: a fun, easy read that lets you escape reality for a few hours without demanding too much brain power.

Alessia is a doctor with a perfectly planned out life, until she isn’t. What should have been the most predictable moment of her existence (her wedding) takes a sharp left turn when she’s taken from the altar after pleading for an escape. It’s all very ACOTAR in the best way. Enter Silas, our brooding, mysterious hero who has his own reasons for bringing Alessia into this world. The Isle is on the brink of disaster due to a curse centuries old and, because clearly life wasn’t nearly chaotic enough, Allie might be the key to saving it all. But as Allie says multiple times, no pressure, right? 😅

The relationship between Alessia and Silas might have felt a little insta-lovey, but it made sense given the circumstances they were in. Their story is one filled with chemistry and trust, making them believable as a couple. Alessia finds herself on The Isle. She finds a home she’s been searching for her entire life, a friend she’s been aching for, and Silas. All of which felt like missing parts of her until she found them. You can see and feel her relief in finding that and how desperate she was for it.

This book is the literary equivalent of "just one more episode.” I sat down intending to read a few chapters and suddenly realize I was 42% through in just one-sitting. It flies by, with just the right balance of tension, action, and romance to keep the pages turning. The side characters were also great. They added a lot of personality, humour, and just the right amount of chaos to make the world feel alive. I would happily read an entire book about the supporting cast, which is great for me because I learned Gina LaManna has more works in this universe out to catch up on while I await the sequel in this series.

If you’ve read enough fantasy books, you’ll recognize some familiar tropes. The *surprise, you’re magical!* reveal, the *hidden world in peril*, the *reluctant chosen one*—it’s all been done before. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but don’t go in expecting a groundbreaking twist on the genre. While I loved that the book was fast-paced as that was exactly what I was looking for, there were moments where I wished it would slow down just a little. Some plot points felt glossed over, and I wanted more time to sink into the world-building and character development. A little extra depth would have made this story even better.

Was this the most unique or mind-blowing fantasy book I’ve ever read? No. Did I enjoy every minute of it anyway? Absolutely. Sometimes, you just need a little fun, magical adventure that lets you escape for a few hours, and Cursed does exactly that. It’s an easy, bingeable read with a likeable heroine, a brooding love interest, fun and dynamic side characters, and a world that I’m excited to spend more time in.

Sadly the writing style wasn't for me. And it was really hard to keep concentrated due to the layout of the ebook. I don't know if it was due to netgalley format, or if its just an arc thing, but it was really distracting! The whole text was "highlighted" with a grey background, and fully right flushed rather than left flushed!

Even though this book was a few hundred pages, it went by fairly quick. I love the characters and the relationships that they had towards each other. I tend to go for books that contain spice but the plot was so good in this that I didnt mind it not having any spice.

This was a very quick and easy read, told from Alessia’s perspective, as she navigates a brand new fantasy world.

Alessia is part of a wealthy family, paired off with a soon-to-be husband who controls anything her parents don’t, and she’s completely unhappy. While wishing to escape her over-the-top wedding, a mystery person shows up. Silas is the mystery man, and he transports her to a magical island. It’s on this island that Alessia learns about her true nature and discovers her calling. The romance between these two feels more like fated mates due to how quickly things progress, but it wasn’t too fast for me personally.

Their love story is a bit of a secondary tale to what truly needs Alessia’s attention - the curse that has descended upon the island. A magical curse has begun to take down the many varied paranormal inhabitants. Lucky for them all, not only is Alessia a trained doctor, but she also has some magical abilities that you can quickly figure out the source of. Couple this with Silas and the rest of the island’s support, and you get a rather quick resolution to what could have been a world-ending plague. I see this is listed as book#1 so I assume we get more adventures for this world and if they are all as quick and satisfying as this one, I will eagerly sign up!

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Cursed" is a very pleasant book to read. All types of mythical beings and creatures roam the island this book is mostly set in. The main character, Alessia, is nearing 30 and it is nice to read about someone older than 25 in a romantasy book.
This book has an interesting premise and characters, however none if it felt fully developed. All of the plot and subplot felt like they needed just a little more attention. The book felt a little hurried and because of that, I never really felt that deep of a connection with the characters.
All in all, this book is a pleasant diversion but didn't have a lot of depth

Review was posted on NetGalley, Instagram, Goodreads, and Storygraph on February 23, 2025.

This was a fun and short read. The characters were like able and I enjoyed the story. Had a cutesy feel to it.

A pleasant read.

So, this took me a bit to get into but when I did, I enjoyed it.

The characters were likeable, the story of a girl whipped away to an unknown fae realm was engaging and overall, it was well written.

I wouldn’t say it gripped me or had me turning pages frantically late into the night, but I did finish it and was interested to see what happened.

If ‘fae male steals ‘human’ girl away into another land in which she has to save everyone due to the powers that she didn’t know she had’ is your kind of read, then you’ll likely enjoy this.

Thank you for the ARC and I wish the book every success on release.