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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A slog to get through. An ok listen. Very poetic/lyrical verse in audio. Will continue to endure the further contnuation of the series. The story had a satisfying conclusion here, looking forward to the same snug endings in the next volume.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
5 stars for withchiness
3 stars for everything else
3 stars for everything else
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
From Bad to Cursed is the sequel to Payback’s a Witch, a series of companion novels that take place in the charming town of Thistle Grove. Thistle Grove is a special place, filled with cute shops, friendly people, and the feeling of magic in the air. Literally. Unknown to the “normies” of the town, the four founding families are all modern day witches who get their magic from the power source in the lake nearby. These families have worked together to protect the town for generations, despite them not always getting along. Such is the case for the Thorns and the Avramovs. The Thorn’s practice Green magic, light and healing and good vibes only. Meanwhile the Avramovs are necromancers, practitioners of Death magic. The two families are complete opposites to each other, and therefore have had a rivalry spanning hundreds of years. Our main characters, Isidora Avramov and Rowan Thorn, have taken this rivalry to the next level due to the rocky past they share, and have barely tolerated each other’s presence for years. But when a member of the Thorn family is viciously attacked by an unknown person using Death magic, Isidora and Rowan are forced by their leaders to work together to find the culprit. What follows is a hilarious romcom filled with laugh-out-loud insults and roasting, drunken adventures, a magical mystery, and a softening between the two characters so slow and reluctant that it will melt your heart while making you laugh hysterically at the same time.
After reading Payback’s a Witch last year and falling in love with the town of Thistle Grove, I was so excited that Lana Harper was planning on revisiting this world. And she did not disappoint! From Bad to Cursed was such a fun romantic comedy (heavy on the comedy), and I had a wonderful time reading it. It was unexpectedly hilarious and had me laughing at nearly every moment, but still with a romance that had me smitten from page one.
The characters are easily the best part of this book, especially our main characters and the budding romance between them. I bought the chemistry between our love interests immediately, well before they even admitted it to themselves. The attraction between them, both physical and emotional, was palpable and left me so excited to see how things were going to develop. From page one, the two spend every moment together hurling insults, but even before they start to actually like each other, it was never done with malicious intent. They make each other laugh, although they both try their hardest to hide the fact that they think the other is hilarious. This is very much an enemies to reluctant friends to lovers trope, which is easily one of my favourite tropes in romance, and one that I don’t see often enough.
The setting and atmosphere is just as good as it was in the first book. I was a little worried at first when I realized that this book takes place in the spring, as the fall setting in the first book was so perfect for Thistle Grove. But the magic is still just as present, and it ended up having a more cottagecore/forest witch feeling to it, which I just adored. I loved the descriptions of their festivals and yearly rituals that they were doing throughout the book; it was so much to learn more about the history of the witches and see more of what they’re all about. I really love the magic system in this world! We got to see more of it in this book, and got to watch Isidora and Rowan explore each other’s magic and teach each other about it. It was fascinating to see the different sides to their magic, and get a more in depth look at how it worked for them, as well as the similarities and differences between them.
In terms of plot, this was possibly the weakest aspect of the story but it was still enjoyable! Rowan and Isidora have to uncover the mystery of who cast the hex that hurt Rowan’s family, and so they have to interview people, follow clues, and try to piece things together. I did find it to be fairly predictable, and even the plot twist at the end didn’t surprise me in the least. I hadn't fully guessed what was going to happen, but I did have a general idea of where the plot was going that ended up being correct. But even with the plot not being the most inventive thing that I’ve ever read in my life, I was okay with that as I was more here for the romance anyways.
Overall, From Bad to Cursed was a fantastic addition to The Witches of Thistle Grove series, and I ended up giving it four stars. It was fun, fast paced, steamy, and just generally a good time. I could definitely see this one becoming one of my favourites in the romance genre!
From Bad to Cursed is the sequel to Payback’s a Witch, a series of companion novels that take place in the charming town of Thistle Grove. Thistle Grove is a special place, filled with cute shops, friendly people, and the feeling of magic in the air. Literally. Unknown to the “normies” of the town, the four founding families are all modern day witches who get their magic from the power source in the lake nearby. These families have worked together to protect the town for generations, despite them not always getting along. Such is the case for the Thorns and the Avramovs. The Thorn’s practice Green magic, light and healing and good vibes only. Meanwhile the Avramovs are necromancers, practitioners of Death magic. The two families are complete opposites to each other, and therefore have had a rivalry spanning hundreds of years. Our main characters, Isidora Avramov and Rowan Thorn, have taken this rivalry to the next level due to the rocky past they share, and have barely tolerated each other’s presence for years. But when a member of the Thorn family is viciously attacked by an unknown person using Death magic, Isidora and Rowan are forced by their leaders to work together to find the culprit. What follows is a hilarious romcom filled with laugh-out-loud insults and roasting, drunken adventures, a magical mystery, and a softening between the two characters so slow and reluctant that it will melt your heart while making you laugh hysterically at the same time.
After reading Payback’s a Witch last year and falling in love with the town of Thistle Grove, I was so excited that Lana Harper was planning on revisiting this world. And she did not disappoint! From Bad to Cursed was such a fun romantic comedy (heavy on the comedy), and I had a wonderful time reading it. It was unexpectedly hilarious and had me laughing at nearly every moment, but still with a romance that had me smitten from page one.
The characters are easily the best part of this book, especially our main characters and the budding romance between them. I bought the chemistry between our love interests immediately, well before they even admitted it to themselves. The attraction between them, both physical and emotional, was palpable and left me so excited to see how things were going to develop. From page one, the two spend every moment together hurling insults, but even before they start to actually like each other, it was never done with malicious intent. They make each other laugh, although they both try their hardest to hide the fact that they think the other is hilarious. This is very much an enemies to reluctant friends to lovers trope, which is easily one of my favourite tropes in romance, and one that I don’t see often enough.
The setting and atmosphere is just as good as it was in the first book. I was a little worried at first when I realized that this book takes place in the spring, as the fall setting in the first book was so perfect for Thistle Grove. But the magic is still just as present, and it ended up having a more cottagecore/forest witch feeling to it, which I just adored. I loved the descriptions of their festivals and yearly rituals that they were doing throughout the book; it was so much to learn more about the history of the witches and see more of what they’re all about. I really love the magic system in this world! We got to see more of it in this book, and got to watch Isidora and Rowan explore each other’s magic and teach each other about it. It was fascinating to see the different sides to their magic, and get a more in depth look at how it worked for them, as well as the similarities and differences between them.
In terms of plot, this was possibly the weakest aspect of the story but it was still enjoyable! Rowan and Isidora have to uncover the mystery of who cast the hex that hurt Rowan’s family, and so they have to interview people, follow clues, and try to piece things together. I did find it to be fairly predictable, and even the plot twist at the end didn’t surprise me in the least. I hadn't fully guessed what was going to happen, but I did have a general idea of where the plot was going that ended up being correct. But even with the plot not being the most inventive thing that I’ve ever read in my life, I was okay with that as I was more here for the romance anyways.
Overall, From Bad to Cursed was a fantastic addition to The Witches of Thistle Grove series, and I ended up giving it four stars. It was fun, fast paced, steamy, and just generally a good time. I could definitely see this one becoming one of my favourites in the romance genre!
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was going to skip the cis-het leaning books in the series, but there's a lot more to them than the main relationship. Thistle Grove remains a rich backdrop with tons of lore of its own.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes