Love is a Curse took me on a journey through a family's history, blending the ordinary with the supernatural. This isn't my preferred genre as I don't enjoy reading anything about the supernatural or paranormal but I have read other books by this author and enjoyed his unique style so much that when offered an ARC by the publisher on Netgalley, I decided to give this a go.

The story unfolds as Cammy, haunted by the warning of a family curse that dictates the tragic fate of the women in her lineage, delves into her family's past. I really enjoyed the way the narrative weaves between the present and the past, incorporating elements of letters, diaries, manuscripts, and newspaper articles. This approach introduced me to the intricate lives of the women who came before Cammy, each who faced unique struggles with love and loss.

As with all of the books so far by this author, the novel is loaded with emotional depth and the characters feel very real. For example as Cammy embarks on her quest for understanding, the novel journeys through a poignant exploration of love's complexities and the impact of a perceived curse on generations of women.

The evocative setting of a converted church, surrounded by an ancient graveyard and ominous woods created a vivid backdrop which added to the atmospheric tension and (unfortunately for me) enhanced the overall supernatural vibe of this novel (and freaked me right out).

Personally I would have enjoyed it more without the supernatural elements which is why I gave this only three stars but this says more about me as a reader because I am not able to rate the quality of the narrative related to the supernatural elements. However, it is clear that Kieth Stuart's writing skills are multifaceted.

Overall, this is an emotional and engaging story that seamlessly blends supernatural elements with a family's historical exploration.

What a fantastic read, everything you'd expect from Keith Stuart and more. I was invested and engaged with the many characters and their emotions straightaway and didn't get lost at all in the twisting, tangled story lines that knitted together perfectly. I enjoy Keith's novels because they are believable, have real settings and historical facts threaded throughout. I am learning fascinating snippets of socisl history as I read! I love that the book is centred around Bath and surrounding areas too. It all adds to the experience for me. Top book from top author.

I absolutely adored A Boy Made Of Blocks, this authors non fiction account of life with his autistic son. This is the first fiction book by the same author that I have read. I don’t know what I was expecting- but this was very different from any preconceived ideas I had about what Keith Stuart’s novels would contain. This is a tale of family and inter generational trauma, with a touch of the occult and the gothic, and ultimately love and family bonds. It follows Cammy who is told at 15 by her dying aunt that the family is cursed- that she can never fall in love or tragedy will befall her. Cammy delves deep into the family history to uncover more about this curse, and along the way we learn so much more about the women in the family, past and present. This was a really absorbing read, I particularly loved the articles and letters. I felt this book had a little bit of everything and kept me wondering throughout. A great read

Overall I enjoyed this book although I did get a little muddled with all the generations of women in the family.

It was really suspenseful and I liked the main character. Recommended.

I have read one of the author’s other books, "Frequency of Us” so was really pleased when I was given the opportunity to receive an ARC of his new book. Cammy' is told by her dying aunt about a curse on the women of her family so some years later, after her boyfriend Ben is involved in a serious car accident; Cammy starts to investigate the 150 year old story of the curse. The book goes back and forth through the centuries as she traces her family tree to find the root of the family curse.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, a great choice for those who enjoy a spooky, gothicy vibe to their reads.

I am a big fan of Keith Stuart's writing so was excited to read this latest story. Cammy is told by her aunt who is on her death bed, that the women in their family are cursed, and that if they fall in love something terrible will happen. Years later Cammy meets and falls in love with Ben When Ben is seriously injured in a car accident, she believes it is her fault and starts to investigate the 150 year old story of the curse. This is a really creepy story - can the curse be real or is there a logical explanation?
Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

I loved this book! The gothic style appealed to my inner goth. The characters were colourful and the plot was well executed. I will go back and find more by this author.

I have been in a reading slump for months now and had been sent an arc by the publishers. This is my second book from Keith Stuart and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I went in blind not knowing anything about the book or what to expect. As I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down honestly- it got me out my slump which I am very happy about.

The story is based on the main protagonist Camille who is told about a “curse” in the family by her dying aunt. Camille then investigates, finds and learns about her “pasts” which holds three more generation stories. The story is captivating as it had a lot of haunting, supernatural, mysterious as well as emotional parts to it.

There were many a times whilst I was reading I felt how could someone have even thought of this or how could someone even come up with this story so kudos to the author. The story initially starts with mysterious as well as thrilling part however the book covers so much more than a dark suspense element. There were times where it could feel dark, tense, sad but then there are times where you feel good, happy etc. I would also call this a beautiful story as I was greatly fascinated by how the author has blended in art, literature and history to the story, love stories not just one but several and how each characters play their role in the story. The major plot towards the end I could see it coming and it all makes sense as to why and how it happened.

Thankyou Netgalley and the publishers for providing me this arc. It was a wonderful read and shall stay with me for a long time.

This is the 4th book by Keith Stuart I have read. Each one an original and unusual story. I loved the supernatural element to this story, I loved the mentions of The Cure and other goth music ( will be checking out the Spotify playlist) I loved each individual woman’s story and the only reason why it’s not 5 stars was I found it a little messy with the stories from the past, letters, manuscripts, journals and newspaper articles. Surely everything and every conversation wouldn’t be written down. Feel it would have worked better with each chapter in a different timescale rather than Cammy finding things out through research. Apart from that I enjoyed it, thank you Netgalley for giving me an early opportunity to read it and I look forward to his next book.

Love is a Curse by Keith Stuart is a well written and unique story spanning several years in a multi-generational family convinced that they have a curse hanging over them.
This is different to any book I have read before and I really enjoyed it. It will appeal to readers who enjoy supernatural, gothic or spooky sorts of books.
Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed The Frequency of Us, so was happy to read this when asked by the publisher.

This took me a little longer to get into. It’s a modern day story with a gothic/spooky feel.

Cammy is warned about a curse on all the women in her family on her beloved aunt’s death bed, and told she will never be happy.

She moves into her aunt’s old home, a converted chapel complete with its own graveyard. Her aunt’s words linger in her mind and it looks like it might be true when her boyfriend Ben is involved in a serious, near fatal car accident.

A lot of this story is told in the form of diary entries and letters, and I think the author became a bit too reliant on this way of telling past stories. However I did find myself reading on as I wanted to find out what happened to Cammy and Ben.

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to read this story and to Netgalley. This is my unpaid review.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. This was very different from what I usually read but it was so good, I loved the characters and the story, and it will stay with me for a long time.

Another wonderful read by Keith Stuart. I’ve really enjoyed his books and Love is a Curse is possibly my favourite. I loved the two different time lines. They added to the mystery of the curse. Beautifully written I would definitely recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and share this book.

This was a very emotional story with different threads running through. A family plagued by the past by a misinterpreted history and trying to find a way through. Brilliant conclusion.

A dark spooky read with the underlying message of pure love but how the past and what we are led to believe by family myths can influence our behaviour. Certainly scary at times but I loved the ending when it all comes together and found myself returning to read the first few pages again to remind myself how it started. The story travels through several generations of the same family through the female line as they battle through the dark side. Plenty of generational auto suggestion with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Interesting female characters which one could certainly empathise with. This was more a supernatural ghost story which I don't normally go for and a bit different from Keith Stuart's previous novels, despite this Keith has a talent to draw the reader in. I shall need a lighter book to read after this!.

I have enjoyed Keith Stuart's previous books and was delighted to be invited to read this one. He writes really well

I found Love is a Curse very different, especially compared to his first book A Boy Made of Blocks (I loved that one),

There's a supernatural/gothic vibe to this novel and that's not a genre I would normally gravitate to but I do like to try different genres occasionally.

I'm afraid I struggled a little with this one, although I did finish it. I did feel the story got more interesting in the later chapters. The story has several layers (and twists). It jumps between the present and the past as Cammy investigates the family curse she has been told about but I found myself getting a bit confused as to who was who in previous generations and their relationship to Cammy. That may just have been my lack of concentration at the time and so my problem.

I believe many readers will love this book but I'm afraid it's just not for me.

I found this book totally fascinating. It was an interesting story that winds through the generations. The characters are well defined and I loved the way the author brings all the strands together and most importantly I enjoyed the ending. I would highly recommend.

Superb. A little bit of everything all rolled into one. One minute I’m on the edge of my seat and the next I’m reaching for tissues. Love, love, LOVED IT!

I absolutely loved this book! I am not too keen on supernatural themes but I do love this author so thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did, it was a family saga told through the ages from multiple perspectives and I loved the historical element to it.
I loved the book more than I thought I would tbh. It is absolutely beautifully written, I would thoroughly recommend it.

This book is the fourth I have read by Keith Stuart, all have been very well written, with great characters, in whom you become fully invested. While ‘A Boy Made of Blocks’ is very much set in the real world, the other books have a whiff of magic or the supernatural in them.
This book starts relatively normally. The main protagonist, Camilla Piper, is told by her dying aunt on her death bed, that there is a curse on the women of her family, that if they fall in love, something terrible will happen. That’s okay, because Camille doesn’t get involved in relationships – until she does.
Lovely horticulturalist, Ben, is working near the run-down St Cyprian’s church that Camille inherited from her aunt. Camille is living there, and working as an artist – as her aunt had done. The two meet in the local pub, and start going out. But, before either of them really knows how they feel about each other, Ben has a terrible accident, and ends up in long-term rehab – his body and mind damaged. Camille is certain it is her – and the curse’s – fault.
She sets about trying to find more about her family history and the curse, in the hope that she can somehow break it, and be with Ben when he slowly recovers.
Camille is drawn to the dark side – as was her aunt. So, you have the impression that if anyone would believe in the curse, it would be Camille. At the start of the book, I was inclined to see her as rather superstitious silly woman, who would be forced to come to her senses. A case, maybe, of confirmation bias, where if you believe you are (un)lucky, then you will only remember the (un)lucky things that happen, and disregard the rest as irrelevant. But one discovery after another supports the existence of the curse, and before you know it, you are in the middle of an eerie ghost story. The book goes back and forth through the centuries as yet another Piper woman falls to the curse. Throughout all is the menacing St Cyprian’s, which all the locals believe is haunted. Then near the end, an almighty storm – what more could a ghost story need?
The book takes a while to take off, but the pace increases until we are at breakneck speed. Can Camille break the curse? Can true love finally prevail?
A final – major – twist at the end. Definitely recommended.