A humble and sorrowful story. I could not stop listening; you want to know everything because you feel like the story is your own. The relationships of the characters are focused and intense, but the particularity and menace of Stenland and the skelds makes this book truly unforgettable. This is my favorite book of 2025 so far.

𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 ~ 𝐀 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐊 ~ by Laura Brooke Robson ~ Thanks to Mira Publishing, Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for a DRC copy of this interesting and unique book. I might never have picked this up if it were not for the Netgalley rec, so I am grateful for that connection. To start, IYKYK, magical realism has to be done just right for me and this novel is a great example of that. This follows Tess and her two lifelong friends as they converge on Stenland Island off the coast of Scotland, where they all were born and raised. I did not read anything about this synopsis, so I had many questions at the onset, but that made the whole reading experience even better. Hence, I will say no more about content. The approach and organization of this story was so well planned out that the flow of it makes the magical realism feel utterly natural and acceptable as a norm. This book has layers and it is so much more than its basic well-paced plot. The evocative writing is lyrical but more to a standard that generates visceral sensory imagery without every being taxing to absorb. I felt lost on this island in the way a reader might feel when reading a fantasy novel. The title itself becomes a simple allegory about a true curse and a lesson to be learned about roots, connection, friendship, love, longing, and what ultimately might draw us home… and the homethen too… is literal and figurative…. as all humans at some point try to find their place in the world. Atmospheric setting, melancholy, yet hopeful… This will definitely be one that I will remember and will surely be a top surprise read of the year. I look forward to reading from this author again in the future.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 💫 (4.5)
Happy Skeld Season Reading All! 📚♥️

This book was just ok for me. Honestly I got a little bored in spots and zoned out.. I had to go back and listen to parts again. The narrator was fine, I just felt the story was rather lacklustre. I just couldn't get invested. The characters were good which is the only reason I kept going. The pacing was off too. It's weird because this book is right in my wheelhouse but I felt disconnected from the story.

3 stars

Wow, this has become one of my favorite books this year. I've come to love magical realism and didn't know going in that I would be introduced to a world where no one is surprised by a cursed island where women can turn people into stone.

This was beautifully written, aching and longing in all the right ways. I worried I would be put off by another story of a couple coming together and breaking apart repeatedly due to miscommunication or something, but it didn't happen here. The reader follows Tess in her need to get away from her home, but her inability to keep Stenland out of her heart. Her desperation to be as far from the cursed land as possible conflicts with her overwhelming love for Soren. It was easy to relate to Tess' fear of hurting those she loves, but also of living a stagnant life. The reader is taken on a journey of tragedies, of friendships in the time of need, the strength of family and community, of possibility and regret. I loved this story that @laurabrookerobson wove. It gradually built and I became more and more invested in Tess and her friends' lives, and found myself in tears the last 20% of the book. This book definitely needs more attention!

A Curse for the Homesick
Published Feb 18, 2025

A Curse for the Homesick by Laura Brooke Robson Narrated by Ruth Urquhart. This was such a perfect blend of romance, mystery an magic. I really related to Tess and Soren when it came to their feelings of the island. The way that no matter what home holds on to you even when you try to get away. The way home shapes you into who you are whether you like it or not. I loved Tess’s relationship with her best friends and the bonds they had and how complex they were. Robson has a way of writing that is just so beautiful, so you really feel it. I will definitely be looking into other books by Robson!

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC audiobook. This review is voluntary and all my own words.

'A Curse for the Homesick' is an excellent book on love and loss. A woman flees a cursed island only for love to bring her back time and time again. It is also about loss, for those taken by the curse and their victims. In the end if love isn't worth risking it all for, then what else is there? Throughout the book, the ring of certain passages blew me away. I enjoyed the narration as well. 5 stars.

I loved the magical realism aspect of this book—it was woven so seamlessly into the story, making Stenland feel both eerie and enchanting. The fated lovers trope is always a favorite of mine, and Tess and Soren’s connection was beautifully tragic and compelling. Their push-and-pull dynamic kept me hooked, and the high stakes of skeld season added an extra layer of tension to their love story.

That said, I didn’t love how wishy-washy Tess could be at times. Her indecision was frustrating, but I still found her an interesting character, especially as she grappled with her fear of becoming a skeld. Soren’s steadfastness balanced her uncertainty well, and their relationship felt raw and real.

Overall, this was an atmospheric and emotional read that left a lasting impression. If you enjoy star-crossed lovers, morally complex choices, and a touch of the fantastical, this book is definitely worth picking up!

Thank you, NetGalley & Harlequin Audio, for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: A Curse for the
Homesick
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Laura Brooke Robson @laurabrookerobson
Publisher: Mira Books @_mira_books_
Thank you Mira Books for my gifted book.

On the island of Stenland, women live in fear of waking
up marked as a skeld—three black lines on the
forehead that signal the beginning of a three-month
curse. Anyone who looks a skeld in the eyes turns to
stone, their life stolen in an instant. This is how Tess’s
mother killed Soren’s parents, making their love story
feel doomed from the start. Tess wants nothing more
than to escape Stenland, to flee a fate she cannot
control. Soren, despite everything, refuses to leave,
tied to the land that has already taken so much from
him. Their love is a constant push and pull—can you
ever truly leave the place that made you? And can you
love someone when everything around you is designed
to keep you apart?

This novel is moody, atmospheric, and deeply
introspective. The writing style reminds me of Sally
Rooney, capturing a raw, almost detached intimacy
that makes every moment feel achingly real. The
emotional weight of grief, fate, and identity is woven
seamlessly into the fabric of the story, making it feel
less like a fantasy and more like an unavoidable reality.

What resonated with me most was the exploration of
home—how it holds onto you even when you try to
break free. As someone from New Orleans, I deeply
connected with the love-hate relationship Tess and
Soren have with their island, the way it shapes them
even when they try to outrun it. Their story isn’t just
about love—it’s about who we are, where we belong,
and the sacrifices we make for both.

If you love melancholic, literary stories with elements
of folklore, fate, and doomed romance, this book is for
you. It’s aching, beautiful, and impossible to shake.

#SkeldSeason #LiteraryFiction #MelancholyReads
#MagicalRealism #SallyRooneyVibes #LoveAndLoss
#FoundInFiction #MustRead #BookLover
#Bookstagram #Bibliophile #ReadingCommunity
#BookAddict #PageTurner #LiteraryEscape #BookNook
#BookWorm #ReadMoreBooks

This book was absolutely devastatingly beautiful. In the town of Stenland, there is a curse on the women of the town known as skeld season. Three women will wake up with black lines on their forheads and turn anyone they see into stone. Tess' mother became a skeld and unfortunately didn't check her forehead and killed sorens parents. Despite this tragic event, they find themselves drawn to each other over and over again.
This story is told during different timelines and we go back and forth. The characters were interesting and we got to see a lot of growth through the years. The friendship between characters was lovely to see and the romance was heartbreaking and wonderful.
I found that my only complaint was that I wanted more. I wanted to know more about the curse on the town and more about the relationships after the book ended. I loved this very much.

Lovers of bittersweet romance and slice of life musings will fall easily for this tale. Robson has masterfully woven the fantastical with the seemingly mundane. The result is something that's deeply human and utterly haunting!

I was lucky enough to physically read and listen to A Curse for the Homesick, both versions are brilliant but the narration brings the characters and atmosphere to life in a way that honors both the deep human emotions and ancient folklore that this story is woven of. Readers will get a special treat regardless of how they choose to consume this timeless tale!

Endless thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.