Series: Ex Hex #2
Author: Erin Sterling
Publisher: Avon Books
Released: September 20, 2022
Received: Own (BOTM)

The witchy romantic subset has quickly become one of my favorites, allowing for a slightly lighter magical tale than my usual choice. The Ex Hex was released last year, and now it is finally time for the sequel – The Kiss Curse.

Gwyn Jones is the quirky and passionate cousin portrayed during The Ex Hex. She’s as loyal as they come, which is why she’s stayed in Graves Glen. Now that her family holds the town’s magic, she couldn’t imagine walking away from it.

Recently, Gwyn has really started coming into her own. Her shop may be struggling, but she enjoys mentoring some of the younger witches in town (or, as she calls them, baby witches). Everything seemed okay. Right up until Wells Penhallow came into town with a clear ulterior motive.

“It turned out a cat’s thoughts were mostly about food and insults,”

Okay, so there’s a lot to love about The Kiss Curse. First, let’s start with the obvious pros: witchy romance, talking cats (as introduced in the previous novel), determined characters, oh, and don’t forget that classic enemies-to-lovers trope.

It’s perfection. Or purrfection (Purrcival made me say that). Heading back to Graves Glen was a delight, especially as the town seemed to be just as full of witchy drama as the last time. Possibly more, given everything that has changed.

I loved how light and entertaining The Kiss Curse was. It has some darker notes (blood depiction, kidnapping, etc.), but it doesn’t get so dark as to be anything other than a relaxing romantic read. But don’t worry! If you’re looking for one of those characters you love to hate, you’ll certainly still find that (courtesy of the Penhallow elder).

Getting a chance to see a bit more of how Graves Glen operates was fun. It sort of reminded me of a more magical version of Stars Hollow, where everyone knows everyone, including their drama. Not a place I’d probably want to live in, but I sure do love reading about it.

Long story short, The Kiss Curse is everything that I had hoped for. And the best part? I feel like the series isn’t yet over. So we can count on at least one more novel from the Ex Hex series!

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy