'Cursed' is a wonderful story of self discovery and belonging. With a modern fairytale vibe, this novel is set on a lush and vibrant magical island filled with mystical creatures, spells and potions. Our main character Alessia is whisked away from her dreaded wedding day by the mysterious Silas, and thrown into a cursed world on the brink of collapse; where she learns of her true self and the hidden power she holds. I loved that the healing power Alessia finds within her has a connection to her biggest passion in life; of being a doctor in training, and her calling to help people.

The magic system in this novel was really interesting; and the authors writing was beautiful. This is the first book in the series to come, and there's still so much to learn about the unique land Alessia has become a part of, and the dangers lurking ahead.

My only criticism is of the pacing of the book at the start. I wish there had been more time for the main character to process what was happening, and to learn how to use the magic she had discovered, rather than immediately being able to use it. However for the length of the book, I think it works okay, as this is a quicker read than some heftier fantasy novels.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this!

*I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*

This was an enjoyable, short, fast paced read. If you like books with easy to comprehend world building, ACOMAF style wedding crashing, with a sprinkle of romance here’s your next read!

While the book is mostly predictable it’s an enjoyable read with some fun characters (and a baby unicorn!), a great toe dip into the romantacy world with no spice

I don’t read a lot of fantasy books, however the synopsis of this book drew me in and I had to read it. And I was not disappointed. Gina’s writing and imagination is out of this world. I will be picking up more of her books! Once I started reading this, I couldn’t stop. I loved reading about Allie discovering magic, faes and the curse!!! Thank you NetGalley, and Gina LaManna!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc. This was a pretty good entertaining story. The first chapter had be hooked but it slowly started going into the stereotypical fantasy romance tropes. Not sure if I’ll continue with the series but overall it was a quick enjoyable read.

''𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞,'' 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐢 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞. ''𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐰𝐞'𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐭, 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢'𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫. 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧.''
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
˖ ࣪ ⟡˚ 2.5 stars ˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
⤷ ARC review! ⋆ˎˊ˗

''people weren't looking for a cure. they were looking for patience and kindness and trust and understanding. they wanted someone to listen, to believe them, to give them hope. you did that because you're you. not because you were born wealthy or born with special magical abilities.''


⤷ 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 ⊹.˚
𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢, 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩. 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘣𝘺, 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵...

⤷ 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 ⊹.˚
the writing is very fast-paced which is perfect if you're in the mood for a quick comforting magical read. however, i found myself struggling to connect with the characters and the story because the writing felt very rushed at times and it was basically a lot of telling and not showing, so i didn't feel as immersed in the characters and the world as that i had wanted to. i think this novel has a lot of potential if the author maybe took some more time in flashing out the characters and the worldbuilding. but the writing did feel comforting. it wasn't that serious, it's magical, full of whimsy, fae, curses, and that comforting romantasy feeling. there are also many comforting little messages woven throughout the book, a lot being about kindness and being enough as you are. i realize i have already said comforting a lot lol, but that's just how i could best describe this book tbh!

⤷ 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 ⊹.˚
i really enjoyed the characters in this book, including the side characters. everyone is so kind and good-hearted, and even the male main character, who is described as handsome, dark, and slightly mysterious with his onyx eyes, doesn't fit the typical problematic broody tall fae love interest. instead, he is incredibly kind, supportive, understanding, and gentle throughout the entire book. he never forces the female lead or takes away her freedom and choices, which felt refreshing and safe. and how he wants to help everyone, especially because of his background, makes him really charming. the author has truly created wonderful characters to read about. i really liked seeing the fmc open up her heart towards magic and magical creatures. watching her going from not believing in those things to slowly beginning to believe was really cute and evoked a childlike wonder. i found it beautiful and inspiring to see her break free from her expectations and live the life that makes her heart happy instead. to becoming free and embracing herself and finally finding a home, which also means the people around her. just like silas, i really liked how she wanted to help everyone (even a mermaid/siren). however, because of the fast pacing of the book, i felt that we didn't get much backstory on some of the characters, and i would have really liked to learn more about them. and the fmc accepts reveals really really fast without getting to know much of her thoughts and emotions, especially at the ending of the book, which at times felt a bit too rushed.

⤷ 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 ⊹.˚
i feel like we don’t get to know much about the worldbuilding in this story. we learn some details about how the fae ceased to exist in this world, and there are mentions of greek mythology, but I'm not entirely sure what that signifies for the setting. there are various creatures introduced, including dragons being mentioned, a vampire who doesn't want to drink blood shortly appearing, and a baby unicorn appears, which was by far the cutest part of the book, in my opinion—oh my goodness! there are also explanations about curses and the magical island, but i’m struggling to connect all the pieces and still have so many questions and still feel quite curious due to the lack of information, which honestly feels quite frustrating to me because i really want to understand things!

⤷ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 ⊹.˚
there isn't really any build-up or tension before they have their first kiss and become a thing together, and even the kiss feels very rushed and emotionless. i didn't really feel their chemistry and the romance didn't feel that convincing to me, however, the interactions they had with each other were cute and felt safe and healthy. honestly, i missed the experience of rooting for the love interests as feelings start developing and building up, but the pacing is too fast for that to happen and for being able to really feel the romance romancing.

''you are a precious thing to me, in so many ways.'' a hint of apology tinged silas's words softer, pleading, desperate. ''you are beautiful just the way you are.''


⤷ 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 ⊹.˚

''𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩,'' 𝘪 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, ''𝘪 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘪'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶.'' ''𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦,'' 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. ''𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.'' ''𝘪'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘪 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘪 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘪 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.''

''𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢.'' 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. ''𝘪'𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.''

⤷ 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 ⊹.˚
overall, i have mixed feelings about this book. the plot and setting are perfect, and if the world-building were more cohesive and the characters and romance better developed, it could have been a truly great read. however, the novel does feel comforting, magical, and cozy. if a second book is released, i will definitely read it. because i did really enjoy the book, but am left feeling a bit frustrated because of all the questions left unanswered.

don’t go into this book expecting a fully fleshed-out world and characters or very detailed writing. that said, the characters are wonderful, the world is enchanting, and the writing is soothing. i would recommend this book if you’re in the mood for a fast-paced magical romantasy with gentle messages woven throughout the story.

''𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗍. 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗈𝖿 𝗂𝗍.''

thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and author for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book has been quite an adventure! From the very first page, I was completely immersed in the story, unable to put it down until the very end. Despite its short length, it delivers a gripping and intense experience that kept me hooked throughout.

The characters are well-crafted, and the pacing is impeccable, making every twist and turn even more thrilling. I only wish it had been a bit longer—I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this world just yet! Hopefully, a second, extended version will come out someday because I would love to dive even deeper into this universe.

Congratulations to Gina LaManna for crafting such an exceptional and captivating story! I can't wait to read more from her.

Unfortunately this was a dnf for me. It had an amazing premise but it just feels like the jump from reality to fantasy was too abrupt and the details were not flowing. The fantasy world building fell flat for me

Cursed by Gina LaManna was a quick read that left room for a sequel or series. My rating of the book changed as I was reading. Initially, I thought this was going to be a 1-2 star read. The publishers tout “perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls… with magic!” I set my hopes pretty high with that statement. The only GG connections to be made are a strong importance made on coffee and rich, detached parents.

The first chapter of Cursed was pure misery with the main character Alessia being so weak minded that every person in her life walks over her and makes decisions for her. I considered not finishing the book.

The Isle, Isle characters, and Silas carried me through the rest of the book. Cursed is more of a vibes book than a logic book. There is little explanation to magic and zero method of Alessia learning to do anything - she just *knows* how to do things. The fourth star was granted because I found myself not wanting to put the book down and wanting to know how the story ended.

I received this from NetGalley and LaManna books. This book could definitely be good for a YA audience or adults that are just starting to get into fantasy/romantasy. It's a quick read that has found family vibes mixed with magic and curses. With this being the first book in a series it did feel very rushed. I think a lot of readers understand that the first book of a series will have some slow parts because we are learning about the characters and the world that they are in. This book jumped right in to telling and not showing and was hitting all of the fantasy go-tos without the buildup to those things. The story had a very interesting concept, I just wish I would've felt more invested in the characters.

This was a really great read. It changed from cozy to suspenseful to romantic and further then back again. I really enjoyed it.

I accessed this book via NetGalley.

I DNF at 40%.

This book starts off very quick, and the characters and the readers are thrust into the story. I found the immediate acceptance of the situation of the main character to be a bit unbelievable. Also the characters and story very much reminded me of ACOTAR (which I also didn’t rate).

The descriptions feel rushed and I didn't truly get a sense of the place or the people. The concept overall had promise; however the execution was poor.

If you want a quick, romantasy read and you don’t mind being thrust into the story, and don’t mind being told rather than shown, then you may take some enjoyment from this. Otherwise there are other fantasy books out there that for me get the pace right and the characters have more depth.

It was a fun read. It bounced around to different things a lot and I had a little bit of trouble visualizing some of the parts. But other than that I enjoyed reading it and would definitely recommend it.

Cursed started with a BANG, or more of an answer when the question "does anyone object to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace?" is posed at Allie's wedding. Her fiance only asked how he looked when she approached the alter, her mother wants her to take off the only piece of her entire bridal outfit that she chose for herself, and she is silently begging anyone in the crowd to intervene. And... someone does. I loved this opening scene, but the book went downhill from there. It was both drawn out in not enough number of pages, and I kept waiting to recapture the feeling that was in the opening scene.

I really wanted to like this book but sadly it didn’t hit for me. It definitely wasn’t bad, but it read like a YA book where I wanted it to be a bit more elevated like the adult romance/ fantasy I believed it would be. Sad to say I got to 50% through and had to DNF.

Cursed by Gina LaManna is an engaging paranormal fantasy that blends romance, mystery, and magical intrigue. Allie Wells, a scientist and runaway bride, is thrust into a world of magic and danger when she’s kidnapped on her wedding day and taken to a mystical island. There, she discovers that she is the last living Fae, and the key to breaking a deadly curse threatening the island. As Allie grapples with her newfound powers and the island’s enchanting inhabitants, she must confront her own doubts and responsibilities, all while falling for a captivating, powerful man. LaManna creates a thrilling, immersive world full of twists, romance, and high stakes, making Cursed a compelling read for fans of magical realism and slow-burn love stories.

It's time to go back to the Isle! Gina LaManna is back with an all new series, bringing readers back to familiar locations and reintroducing some familiar favorite characters. Doctor Allie Wells is not happy. She doesn´t like her nickname, her soon to be husband, or even her parents that much. Then, in the middle of her wedding, she gets a 'get out of jail free card' when the mysterious Simon asks her to leave with him to help save people. Magically transported to the Isle (first introduced in the book Hex on the Beach), Allie reinvents herself as Alessia (her real name) and doctor to the magical folk on the Isle. It's not all fun and games, however, as there is a magical curse threaten to destroy their home and the people who live there. Simon is convinced that Alessia can stop the curse, even when others have failed. It's a lot for her to believe, but will Alessia come to terms with her magical status? With her new home? With her complicated feelings for Simon? Will she be able to break the curse and save everyone?

It's no secret that I love Gina LaManna's magical series, and I was beyond thrilled to see that Cursed was going to start a new series returning us to the Isle. I still want to go there; her descriptions of this magical place sound incredible. While the story is a little familiar to Lily's experiences in Hex on the Beach, Cursed does a good job in setting up a new threat and new secrets. I'm already excited for the next book just to see where this one goes!

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery with a magical twist, Cursed is a delightful choice. It’s the kind of book that leaves you eager to return to its world and characters. Perfect for fans of lighthearted mysteries with a sprinkle of charm, this novel will keep you hooked until the very last page.

DNFed at 70%
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

This book had a lot of potential, but sadly, it fell flat. I really liked the concept and plot of this book, but it was too slow-moving, with very little exposition or development as it progressed. I found myself losing interest and wanting to put it down and pick up a different book.

I failed to see the connection between Alessia and Silas. I expected Silas to announce they were twins separated at birth at any moment because there was no romantic chemistry between them.

This book's magic system was all over the place. Despite living there, no one seemed to understand how the magic or curses work. It was a lot of guesswork without an actual plan of action.

It seemed like the author became lazy as the book continued and no longer wanted to write descriptions. There was a lot of telling not showing! For example at the beginning of Chapter 12, we get this 'description': "We appeared in the blink of an eye somewhere else. A place more beautiful, more exquisite than any I’d seen on this island yet, and that was saying something." Okay? That tells the reader absolutely NOTHING about where the protagonist is now located.

I think this author has potential, but this book seemed rushed and not very well planned out. I would suggest the author spend some more time researching plot structure, character development, and how to write effective exposition and scene descriptions.

I would not recommend this book. I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

This was a fun, fast, wonderful read. I wanted a nice short Romantasy book. Cursed was exactly what I needed. Mix the Fantasy of a Holly Black Book and the Sass of a RomCom. I'm looking forward to the rest of the Series.

Thank You to NetGalley and Gina LaManna for an ARC in Exchange for an Honest Review

3.5⭐️
This story was really good but had the promise to be so much more.
I loved the whole concept of the book, but i feel like it could have been so much more as it was to rushed especially the end. Without giving away spoilers i feel like the ending could have been more detailed.
The FMC was so strong and overcame so much.