After the events of The Ex Hex, the Jones witches have the town’s ley lines under control and everything is seemingly calm in Graves Glen. However, whilst Vivi, Rhys, and Elaine are out of town, drama inevitably ensues when Rhys’ brother Llewellyn (or Wells) Penhallow moves to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town by opening a witchy shop across the street from Gwyn’s. Despite their competition, Wells and Gwyn both become wary when some of Gwyn’s schoolmates unexpectedly return to Graves Glen. Shortly after, Gwyn and Wells are forced to work together when Gwyn’s powers mysteriously begin to fade.
The Kiss Curse is a small-town witchy romcom perfect for fall and Halloween with it featuring the enemies to lovers, grumpy with sunshine, and forced proximity tropes. I would definitely recommend you read The Ex Hex before picking up a copy of The Kiss Curse as many conflicts (and relationships) between the Jones and Penhallow witches from The Ex Hex carry over into The Kiss Curse. Some themes present in The Kiss Curse include revenge, quest for power or status, love and loss, loneliness and isolation, identity, and family. This book is perfect for fans of fantasy romances or “enemies to lovers” romances like The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert, Lore & Lust by Karla Nikole, The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey, or To Hate Adam Connor by Ella Maise.
Firstly, I have to say that I personally enjoyed Wells and Gwyn’s “enemies to lovers” romance in The Kiss Curse more than Rhys and Vivi’s second chance romance in The Ex Hex. All of the comedic moments Sterling included in The Kiss Curse were stellar, especially Gwyn’s enthusiastic and often mischievous trainees (or “Baby Witches”), Gwyn’s outspoken talking cat, Gwyn’s fondness for witchy puns, and a hilarious incident involving a glittery “love spell”. The sweet and swoonworthy moments were also delightful, especially the meaning behind Wells’ fondness of Gwyn’s pink hair streak. I appreciated that Sterling kept me guessing and I didn’t feel like the ending was predictable. The autumnal vibe of the small-town of Graves Glen is dreamy with all the Halloween and fall festivals in Graves Glen reminding me of beloved fictional small towns like Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) and Halloweentown.
On the downside, I thought that the conflict was wrapped up too quickly in the last couple of chapters and I felt like everything wasn’t fully resolved by the end of the book; although, this does leave the story open for a possible sequel for Rhys and Wells’ brother Bowen. I was also disappointed that Rhys and Vivi (the main characters in The Ex Hex) were absent for most of this book.
The Kiss Curse is a light and fun witchy romance perfect for the fall and Halloween season!
The Kiss Curse is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Welcome to Spooky Season!! The follow-up to Erin Sterling’s New York Times bestselling hit The Ex Hex features fan favorite Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow as they battle a new band of witches and their own magical chemistry.
Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin have formed a new and powerful coven; she’s running a successful witchcraft shop, Something Wicked; and she’s started mentoring some of the younger witches in town. As Halloween approaches, there’s only one problem—Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow.
Wells has come to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town they founded as well as to make a new life for himself after years of being the dutiful son in Wales. When he opens up a shop of his own, Penhallow’s, just across the street from Something Wicked, he quickly learns he’s gotten more than he bargained for in going up against Gwyn.
When their professional competition leads to a very personal—and very hot—kiss, both Wells and Gwyn are determined to stay away from each other, convinced the kiss was just a magical fluke. But when a mysterious new coven of witches come to town and Gwyn’s powers begin fading, she and Wells must work together to figure out just what these new witches want and how to restore Gwyn’s magic before it’s too late.
