Gwyn is happy working in her mother's witchy shop Something Wicked and mentoring young witches in Graves Glen. Wells Penhallow has spent years being a loyal son and running a pub in Wales but just before Halloween, he has arrived in Graves Glen to re-establish his family's connection to the town they founded. He opens up a shop of his own, similar to Something Wicked and Gwyn soon realises that she has competition. As rivals, Gwyn and Wells are determined to stay away from each other but the magic in the town seems to be pulling them together. At least, that's what they're telling themselves, as they struggle not to kiss each other...

I really enjoyed both The Kiss Curse and its prequel The Ex Hex. They are silly, whimsical romances set in a very cosy small town with a lot of charm to it. I was also delighted to see more of Sir Purrcival in this instalment, as there definitely wasn't enough of him in the first book -however, I still could have used more of him! I also really enjoyed Gwyn and Wells' relationship dynamic and although, I liked them as a couple, I would have been happy if they'd ended up as friends. They genuinely like each other and that was really lovely to follow. The mystery element to The Kiss Curse also provided a couple of twists that I didn't exactly see coming, which I really appreciated.

I am really looking forward to reading what I think will be the final book in this series next year and I'm sure lovers of cute, cosy witch stories will be too.

THIS REVIEW IS NOT SPOILER FREE!!! Also, it’s a rumble of a disappointed reader so forgive me for this being a bit… well, 💩.

This was going so well! So freaking well! And then it flopped.

Seriously, I was so ready to give this book 4 stars! The story was better than the first book, the romance had some nuance and an actual base, the mystery was fun and unpredictable and the twist was great! Well, until it wasn’t.

You see, the romance between Gwynn and Wells would be well developed, cute and just a perfectly fun paranormal romance IF the author didn’t set it up as a second chance romance or friends to lovers (ish- they had one convo years ago). The book starts with a scene from the MC’s school years when Gwynn’s spell went rogue and Wells helped to control it by blowing it up, which annoyed Gwynn. As we later find out, Wells doesn’t recognise Gwynn even though she tells him they met before but he tells her he had a crush on a pink haired girl he embarrassed at school because he was a show off. You know what’s the problem?! SHE NEVER TELLS HIM THAT THE GIRL HE WAS IN LOVE WITH IS HER!!! Which makes the whole second chance (ish) romance thing completely irrelevant for the story! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed all the sweet moments between those two, the teasing and the spice (even though fade to black is not my thing) but GOD DAMMIT the set up for their relationship bothers me so much!

Next issue: this book title refers to a problem which gets solved within few pages after it happens and it’s resolved in the stupidest way possible. Right after this, author creates two other obstacles for the characters- two dark and mysterious plots which have absolutely the laziest, most careless resolutions ever! The one that annoys me the most is a plot where Gwynn loses her powers. It turns out that the one who was stealing it was no other than Wells’ dad and he was doing it through his son. God, this could be such a perfect betrayal/ enemies to lovers trope but NOPE! When Gwynn gets kidnapped by an evil coven she saves herself and brings back her powers through BELIEVING IN HERSELF! For fucks sake! A powerful witch creates a whole scheme with the use of two combined spells Wells had to use his blood to even attempt fixing just for her to just power herself back!

Honestly, I’m so disappointed because I genuinely liked this book but unfortunately overall the plot of ‘the Kiss Curse’ is a mess. No matter how much I love Gwynn, Wells and sir Purrcival as characters, I just cannot recommend this book to anyone. It was way too frustrating.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read it ❤️

I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually think I enjoyed this more than The Ex Hex! I really didn't think that this would be the case, because I did really enjoy The Ex Hex, and while I found Gwen to be very fun as Vivi's cousin, she didn't particularly stand out to me as someone who I desperately needed to read more of, and yet I couldn't put this book down. I thought the chemistry between her and Llewellyn was great, and I always love an enemies-to-lovers trope. Everything from their rival shops to having to work together to fight this threat on the town just worked really well for me, and I think The Kiss Curse did massively benefit from the fact that the town and the way in which magic plays a part in it was already established in the first book, so that this sequel could focus more on jumping straight into the action. I have no idea if Sterling is planning on writing more books in this world, but I would love it if she did.

I have been very lucky to be accepted for the first book and this book in the series so I was really excited when I got accepted for this second book and I’ve been waiting for her book and it did not disappoint. I am so happy and so blessed to have been able to read this. I would 100% recommend to anyone who is getting into the October mood recently and I will definitely be rereading in the future. I absolutely love this series and I cannot wait for the third instalment as I just love the brother and his werewolf a hidden vibes. this book specifically was cute. It had kind of enemies to lovers, more like misunderstanding to love us where he had a crush on her, but he was kind of an arse, so she was really annoyed at him, and it grows into them being a rivalry storeowner, and then them falling in love with some witchy mystery vibes added in

My review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the sequel to The Ex Hex!

It's just as fun and atmospheric as The Ex Hex was, again set at Halloween, but this time the female main character is Gwyn, cousin to Vivi from the first book.

I really enjoyed the story, and the romance! I found the mystery well done, and didn't see the answer coming, though when it did I could see where the author had set it up!

All in all, a great cosy romance with lots of seasonal atmosphere!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Headline.

This was an incredible book, I was absolutely hooked from start to finish! This was a perfect mix of fantasy, mystery and romance, bringing all three of my favourite genres together.

I will be coming back to this book when I am in the right head space: for now I was not able to finish it unfortunately.

Erin Sterling's "The Kiss Curse" promises to be another enchanting romance novel filled with the perfect amount of magic and romance. With a unique plot revolving around witches and their rivalries, this book offers a fresh take on the classic rom-com genre. The synopsis teases a balance of humor and mystery, as well as a touch of steamy romance. Fans of Sterling's previous work, "The Ex Hex," will not be disappointed with this latest addition to her collection. Overall, "The Kiss Curse" sounds like a spellbinding read that will leave readers wanting more.Erin Sterling's "The Kiss Curse" is an absolute delight! The unique storyline revolving around witches and their rivalries is sure to captivate readers from the very first page. The balance of humor and mystery, along with a touch of steamy romance, creates a perfect blend that keeps the readers engaged throughout the book. Sterling's writing style is engaging and fluid, making it easy to get lost in the world of Graves Glen. The characters are well-developed, and their chemistry is sizzling. The book is a perfect addition to any romance lover's collection. "The Kiss Curse" is a must-read, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a spellbinding romance novel that offers a fresh take on the classic genre. Sterling has once again proven that she is a master storyteller, and I cannot wait to read more of her work in the future.

I love love love LOVE this book! Anything by Erin Sterling instantly finds itself top place on my TBR. The perfect amount of fantasy, mystery, and romance all mixed into one. I devoured this story and it will forever be one of my all time favourite reads. At this point, I have re-read this book multiple times, and I never get bored of it.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

I liked this one a lot which is good because I loved the first one and I always worry about a sequel. But this one did not disappoint!
I loved all the characters and thought this was fun, made me laugh and smile and just really likeable.
I couldn’t put this book down and really liked it from start to finish. Can’t go wrong with Erin Stirling!

There's something I just love about this series - yes, it's silly, but it knows it, and it's a lot of fun! This sequel to The Ex Hex completely lives up to to it's popular predecessor, immersing the reader back into the witchy world of Graves Glen, this time following Gwyn, who has been enjoying her quiet life until her shop Something Wicked gets some stiff competition. Cue sexy spells, magical mysteries and lots of fun.

Gwyn is a really likeable main character, maybe even more so than her cousin Vivi, the protagonist of the previous novel. She's feisty, fiery and confident in her own abilities - until they start to fail her, and she has to enlist the help of her rival to solve the problem. If you enjoyed the first novel, I'm sure you'll enjoy this just as much. And, if you haven't read The Ex Hex but think that small-town witchy romance sounds up your street, I highly recommend you give this a try.

I didn’t really enjoy this one and found the style to be a little YA for my liking. I do think if you like that genre or if you’ve read other Erin Sterling titles then you’d enjoy but it’s not for me

I loved reading this one. I just love this kind of books.
4 stars read for me. I love this author snd her writing style.
Thanks to netgally for this arc.

The Kiss Curse

Magic doesn’t always play by the rules …

In this follow-up to The Ex Hex, we follow Gwyn’s life this time.
She’s happily running her witchcraft shop and even starts to mentor some young witches from the school. Life is great, right?
Enter Llewelyn ‘Wells” Penhallow, the older brother of
He wants a change from the wet, quiet pub he runs in Wales and moves to Graves Glen to open a magic shop … opposite Gwyn!
He very quickly realises that she will give as good as she gets.
They soon learn that they will have to work together however when Gwyn starts to have trouble with her magic, it seems there is an unknown, evil entity in the town.

Another fun, enemies-to-lovers Rom-com which is just as good as The Ex Hex.
Perfect if you like a fun witchy read with a bit of spice!

I was so excited to get approved for this on NetGalley. I loved The Ex Hex, and was excited to return to the town of Graves Glen, as well as the Jones and Penhallow witches. Following the events of The Ex Hex, it’s now the magic of the Jones women that flows through the town of Graves Glen. Gwyn is running Something Wicked, and starts mentoring a trio of Baby Witches who are finding the courses at the university as restricting as she did, magic wise. Things are good, but when Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow arrives, Gwyn suddenly has to contend with a new shop – Penhallow’s – just across the street from her own, and Wells proves to be absolutely as infuriating as Gwyn remembers.

Actually, that’s my only slight niggle with the book – despite a few chances to do so, Gwyn never reveals to Wells that they actually did kind of meet back at the single term he spent at the university, a scene which we’re shown here through a prologue. I really wanted that to be revealed, especially when Wells lets out his own secret from his time there.

Despite that, I loved this as much as the first book. Gwyn was such a great character, especially in contrast to her cousin, and it was really sweet to get a glimpse of Viv and Rhys from Book 1, enjoying marital bliss. Those two are still adorable, and I really loved the scenes where either of them appeared – it’s nice to see a couple so completely in love in their post-honeymoon period (even if they technically haven’t been on their actual honeymoon yet).

But of course, it’s Gwyn and Wells who really steal the book. They’re both stubborn as hell, determined, and have such good character arcs. Every scene they’re in together you can feel the tension between them, the kind that makes you basically scream, now kiss! at the book.

I absolutely love the way the magical elements are weaved in, too, and the way we get to see a bit more of the witchy world. Sterling has done a great job here, with two characters it’s easy to fall in love with, and I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Headline Eternal for providing me a copy of this book via NetGalley. Views remain my own.

I really enjoyed The Ex Hex so when I heard we were getting another book in this universe and focused on Gwyn I knew I had to read it. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The Kiss Curse is funny, witty and light-hearted witchy romance that had me hooked! I love these characters and watching them interact with each other. I'm also an absolute sucker for enemies to lovers and this ticks all the boxes! ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
If you love witchy romances with a Gilmore Girls vibe world then this and The Ex Hex are ones you need to pick up! I know need another book with Bowen finding love! ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Kiss Curse

This is the companion book to its predecessor ‘The Ex Hex’.
I was immediately hooked and I just adored fiery Gwyn, strait-laced Wells and the baby witches of course.
The chemistry was just perfectly measured and timed and I was squeaking at my kindle when they kissed.
I also loved the cosy setting and the whole atmosphere that was built around the town.
Gorgeous!
This was so nice for a relaxing, cute escape from reality.
The setting of the quaint town added to the cozy and charming atmosphere of the book. This novel was the perfect escape from reality and I found it relaxing and enjoyable.

AHHH i just LOVE this series, quick choppy and cute.
I read this in one sitting in a day and loved it.
Granted nothing makes sense and the plot has more holes that swiss cheese but that's not the point.. great witchy love story.

Another great book I loved reading this and of call year j could t put it down! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for access to this book