I started reading this book at night. It may have been the surrounding darkness alone or the skill of the author that I felt like I was reading a horror novel. I don’t have much against the genre, but I would preferably not want to read it at night. I’ve read another book by the author that had no connection to this book before and might have expected something similar as I picked this up.

My expectations took a roller coaster ride as the story progressed. We have multiple generations in the tale. The curse is said to impact the women in the family and it is more of a danger to a romantic partner. This is something our central protagonist is worried about. She decides to dig into the past and figure out the actual curse itself and how the previous generations dealt with it.

It is only after the first half of the book and a little more passes that there’s a change in the narrative style. Reveals start to make their presence felt and I genuinely felt like the book turned on its head and transformed into something else altogether ( as compared to how it began). I liked the tone and direction of things. It was a very satisfying read once everything is said and done. I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction and those who like stories filled with family secrets.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Love is a Curse is a slight step away from the genres I tend to go for. Gothic in style I would say.
An alleged curse has haunted all of Cammy's family's women, and she is determined to research it. When her boyfriend has a life-altering accident she initially blames the curse, however as her research develops she starts to wonder if perhaps the curse is not real at all.
Overall, it was good, though not a genre for me.

Love is a Curse is an original and engaging novel about relationships and perspectives. Cammy is warned by her terminally ill aunt that the women in their family have a curse on them that causes harm to the one they fall in love with. The story unfolds to show several generations of Cammy’s family and the tragedies that occur including her own. While researching her ancestry Cammy starts to realise that by focusing on the bad things that happen, we miss the many wonderful things.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel even though it took some concentration to keep the many characters and timelines in mind. Slightly spooky but an amazing story of love and positivity.

Love is a Curse by Keith Stuart is a heartfelt exploration of love’s complexities and the emotional toll it can take. Stuart crafts a story that’s both relatable and profound, with characters who feel vividly real. The novel delves into the ways love can uplift and challenge us, highlighting the highs and lows of relationships in a way that’s both refreshing and authentic. The writing is emotional yet grounded, and Stuart's insight into human connection adds depth to the story.

While compelling, the pacing occasionally slows, and some plot points feel familiar, yet these are minor drawbacks in an otherwise powerful story. Overall, it’s a deeply touching read with layers of insight that linger, ideal for anyone drawn to realistic, emotionally resonant tales.

Very interesting read. I loved the mystery and could not stop reading.
This book is definitely a page turner and it will keep you asking for more.

Keith Stuart is one of my favourite authors, so I was delighted when I was sent a widget from the publisher for his latest novel. I didn’t even bother to read the synopsis before I hit the download button as I was certain I would love it just like I did for The Frequency of Us and Days of Wonder.
I flew through it when I was on holiday a couple of months ago, but it’s taken me this long to review it, because I didn’t love it like I thought I would.
I liked Cammy and Ben, her boyfriend who is seriously hurt in a car accident. As the synopsis says she’s convinced it’s the family curse and so looks into it all through letters, diaries, and interviews she discovers along the way.
I enjoyed her detective work, but I didn’t enjoy they way it was told. I’m not a lover of stories told through diaries and letters and I’m wasn’t at all keen on the gothic horror feel, or the supernatural events that encompassed the story. I know I’m in the minority here so please don’t let this put you off if you enjoy those elements.

I have read and enjoyed all of Keith's previous books and his latest was just as pleasing, if very different from the others.

The family saga spanning the years was intriguing and had the hairs standing up on the back of my neck at various points.

I did find the stories of the different female characters in the family history confusing at times and had to concentrate hard to remember whose story I was in and how they fit into the family tree.

Another enjoyable read.

📚Book Review📚

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I want to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book.

💒Family
💫Magical Realism
💞Relationships
🤫Secrets

I find Keith Stuart's books so moreish! I'm often lost in his beautiful prose and unique concepts; this book was no exception. It's filled with family lineage, curses and twisted secrets guaranteed to shock.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I really enjoyed this family saga that spanned generations. It starts with Cammy who is told there is a family curse on the women in her family by her Aunt who is on her death bed. When Cammy meets Ben and he has a car accident she starts to think that the curse is true and decides to delve deep into her family history.. We get a detailed commentary on the women in the family and a lot of family secrets are revealed. Cammy has to come to terms with some revelations and she decides to live in her Aunts church which gives a gothic feel to the story . There are strains in her relationship with her sister, her mother and her boyfriend. It is a long story , some of it told in letter form , which I liked . There is such a build up to the end and it’s a brilliant ending , there is a storm and destruction , so action packed. It’s a brilliant family drama and a good love story . I would however found it helpful to have a family tree at the beginning, with the timelines. Well recommended.

I absolutely loved this book. Cammy loves her aunt, and when she dies, she is told about a family curse. And so the story unravels. It's a beautiful story mixed with tragedy and just a book you must read.

I do love Keith Stuart’s writing style and his stories. Yet another triumph. Compelling, quirky and endearing from start to finish, this is a fabulous tale, full of joy, sadness, tears and laughter. - not to mention edge of the seat suspense and tension. Keep writing Keith and I will keep reading.

Did your mother ever tell you about the curse. This supposed curse that haunts all the women in a family is at the heart of this book. It is something that plagues these women's lives and makes them wonder if any misfortune they suffer is a result of this. But Cammy is determined to find out whether it is real or fake, particularly in light of her boyfriend Ben having a car accident that alters his life. She blames herself as she believes that her sending him a text message was why he had the accident.

I wasn't quite sure how the plot was going to unfold, but is was an enjoyable book.

This author has a knack for writing completely different books, having read his other work I found this book to be my least enjoyable read however it was still very good. There was a heavy historical and supernatural feel to this book which work very well. I really enjoyed reading for the different generations and versions of the curse loved history. Good characters and great storytelling.

‘Did your mother ever tell you about the curse’
Cammy is warned that the women in her family are destined to always lose the one they love
She thinks nothing of it until in her twenties her new boyfriend is hit by a car
A story of love, heartache and hope
Very gothic and atmospheric, especially as Cammy lives in a converted church
So tense you’re anticipating what will happen next
Clammy was brilliant as a main character so engaging and she helped fill in the blanks with the letters and diaries from the past
But also how she must decide to a risk on live with Ben, knowing the potential consequences
Loved the atmospheric novel but felt the ending was a little rushed
Thanks @keef.stuart @littlebriwnbookgroup.uk & @netgalley for the tense atmospheric read

I loved this multi-generational love story which followed the women of the family as they navigated life living under a curse which means they will never find love.

On this occasion I shouldn’t have been tempted by the author rather than the genre. I’m not a fan of anything supernatural and add to that hints of gothic so hands up it was my mistake.

Believing the females in her family are cursed, Cammy is sure that she will never be able to enjoy love. This changes when she meets Ben who makes her feel different. After an accident leaves Ben in hospital, Cammy, convinced that the accident is her fault, sets out to discover more about the hundred and fifty year history of her family and the story of her aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother amd find out if the curse is real.
Set against a gothic background this is a mystery and love story that spans the generations. The setting of St. Cyprian’s church adds suspense and some twists and turns. It took me a while to get into the book, I wasn’t particularly drawn to the characters initially, but I enjoyed the story set in WWI between Daphne and Robbie with the letters between them feeling really authentic. At times it felt a bit too coincidental how the characters came into Cammy’s life. However, by the end it all came together in a satisfying way and it was an enjoyable read thanks to Stuart’s easy and engaging writing style.

Loved the storytelling and the characters. A well plotted and compelling story that kept me reading.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Having read, and enjoyed, A Boy Made of Blocks and The Frequency of Us, I was very excited to read this book. Whilst I enjoyed it immensely, this was nothilike either. It is a story tracked through several generations of a family – full of murder intrigued, and some spooky goings on – but is everything as it seems?

When Cammy’s Aunt Lorna dies she tells Cammy about the curse on the members of the family and warns her not to fall in love. She then leaves her the old gothic church that Aunt Lorna lived and where she worked in on her art. When Cammy meets Ben she hopes the curse isn’t real, however when Ben is involved in a serious car accident Cammy is determined to find out more.

This was nothing like the previous books I have read by Keith Stuart, but really very enjoyable and well written.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/103749054-love-is-a-curse

This is Keith Stuart’s fourth novel novel and while they are all very different, what they all highlight is how good a storyteller he is. I don’t generally read historical fiction and have no interest in gothic so I read this purely on the grounds that it was by Keith Stuart. As it turns out, I really enjoyed the historical elements. As Cammy researches her family history, there are several stories from the different generations and different versions of the same story. While it sounds like it could be confusing but I didn’t find that at all and I take my hat off to the author for that. Great storytelling and a really interesting cast of characters make this a joy to read.