This is my second try with this series and the writing style is just not working. There is so much telling instead of showing and it's written like a conversation with the reader which takes me out of the story and prevents it from ever feeling real.

Isadora is immature and kind of bratty which makes her incredibly difficult to empathize with. I don't think the tone of her interactions with Rowan made sense in what should have been a pretty serious situation. The different family magics are interesting but the writing and characters are losing me.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

While I love the first in the series, From Bad to Cursed didn’t quite hit for me. I really liked the start but felt it slogged a little in the middle before finishing strong.

I didn't love this as much as Payback's a Witch, but it was still a good, fast read. I love reading about Thistle Grove, and each book expands the characters and the town, so for that alone, it's worth it. I just didn't connect with Rowan as much as I wanted to in order to root for their romance. Issa is a great character - very fleshed out, but I wasn't overwhelmed by the chemistry. That doesn't mean I won't be moving right on to the next in the series!

I LOVED this opposites-attract/semi-enemies-to-lovers follow-up to Payback’s A Witch. I want to crawl in to Thistle Grove and stay there forever. This series is the perfect fall cozy read.

I am having a difficult time reviewing this book because I couldn't finish it. It was just not for me, which is unfortunate because it felt like a book that should be right up my alley. I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book in the series either, but maybe I should give them another shot when I am in a better frame of mind to enjoy it.

I did not finished From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper because I couldn't get into the story and it just wasn't for me.

I really did enjoy it, although not as much as the first book. It was a great story, but something in it made me lose focus, which made it hard at times to keep focused on the story. All in all definitely a lovely book, though!

I was only able to get through the first ten chapters of this one before deciding to DNF. It just wasn’t for me

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I am loving the witches of Thistle Grove!
I was absolutely stoked to get a copy of From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper. My expectations were a little high after reading her debut book, Payback’s a Witch. Lucky for me, Lana Harper delivered in her follow up story which also takes place in the magical town of Thistle Grove.


From Bad to Cursed delivers on the enemies to lovers romance trope. Isidora and Rowan are both witches with complete opposite styles of magic. While Rowan’s ancestral magic is reminiscent of flowers, sunshine, the magic of Isidora’s family is a darker magic that allows them to connect to spirits, and even summon demons. It sounds like dark/evil magic, but it’s portrayed rather beautifully and more like a respectful art.

When a member of Rowan’s family is magically attacked during a festival on their grounds, Isidora’s family are the most likely suspects. With a small radius of dead trees, and a witch who has had her magic stolen, it is up to Rowan and Isidora to work together to find the culprit of the crime. Even if it is one of their own family members. The forced proximity of their investigation is where the magic truly happens ?.

The witches of Thistle Grove are full of fun, and spunky attitudes.

Lana Harper’s characters have plenty banter and hilarious remarks for each other. Some of the best moments in this book are full of sarcasm and teasing of each other. I loved it because of how natural it felt. Those scenes felt true to the personalities of the witches, and made them real. None of the discussions felt forced, which invites readers to feel present in their conversations.


Thistle Grove is a town full of diverse people with a wide array of magical gifts, styles, cultures, and preferences. Harper’s beautiful little town inhabits residents of all races, sexual orientation, and gender. It’s not portrayed as perfect, and she used care when writing about these varying relationships. She also took care to write about anxiety and panic attacks in a main character. While none of those topics are unusual for me, it does always make my heart skip a beat when I read about them in books. People of all shapes, sizes, colors, and orientations love, feel, and face challenges. Each time a book touches on such diverse topics it widens our window just a little more to see what our world truly looks like.

This was a fun book! Unfortunately I didn’t read the first book in the series but i still enjoyed this book.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

I'm honestly so in love with this series. For me, it is the perfect balance of romance and like cozy fantasy/witchy vibes.

I loved returning to Thistle Grove for book two in Lana Harper's series! The writing is fun and witty, and Isadora and Rowan are an ADORABLE couple. I love a good forced-proximity romance. The mystery running through the story was interesting, even though I did guess the answer about 3/4 of the way through. I thought it was a unique idea and wasn't bothered by the predictability. I can't wait to come back to thiste grove for book three!

When you need happy reading I definitely think you should pick up Lana Harper’s Thistle Grove Books: Payback’s a Witch, From Bad to Cursed and Back in a Spell – you have time to read all three before In Charm’s Way comes out this fall! The romances are sweet, the magic is exciting and each book gave me a little bit more than I was expecting. Definitely books I’d read again for fun.

I’ve gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper. I was not a fan of the first book of the series, but this one really turned it around for me. With fun witchy characters set in the same Thistle Grove, we get to explore more of the residents’ lives as their world becomes more complex. Continue reading my review below.

Plot
One of my grievances with the first book of the Thistle Grove series was the plot. It felt basically like the Triwizard Tournament (TM??) or the Hunger Games. I’m not really into that sort of plot advanced only by the conclusion of a series of mini-games that may or may not kill the participants. From Bad to Cursed happens in the aftermath of the Victors Cup (I think that’s what it was called). I liked how this book focused on some sort of bad thing actually happening in the town and it was something to be solved. This makes for a much more interesting read for me.

Characters and World Building
It’s difficult to separate discussing the characters and world-building. Part of what makes this series interesting (beyond magic, duh) is the prevalence of the four founding families. In From Bad to Cursed, we get to learn more about the Avramov and Thron families. While they were present in the first book, we now are able to have an inside look into the expectations and prejudices that come with being a part of those families.

Many series that move around to different main characters from the same town/universe between books often give focus on the best friend of one of the main characters or something like that. With From Bad to Cursed, I enjoyed that I was getting to know characters that were tertiary to the first book. This I think also helps with continuing to build the world of Thistle Grove.

I'm kind of ashamed of how long this took me to read but good lord was it worth the wait! I love the Witches of Thistle Grove series - they are cozy, emotional, heartfelt, and have a great plotline to follow! Lana Harper (also writing in the YA sphere as Lana Popović, which makes me once again interested in the series starting with Wicked Like a Wildfire) can really write her heart out! It is rare to find a string of characters, and a community really, that I would like to read from for the rest of time! The familiar politics are fantastic, the various magic systems/affinities are so well done and interesting, and the pacing makes it so difficult to put down. I have quickly picked up "Back in a Spell" so I'm ready for more Thistle Grove!!

This one took me way too long to get to, but it was worth it in the end! I'll read every book Lana writes for the dialogue alone. It's so witty and realistic. I loved Issa and Rowan's dynamic, especially tied into all the family drama. I loved the forced proximity of them working together, and I appreciated that the 'mystery' was super obvious from the start. That allowed me to really concentrate on their blossoming romance, rather than try to solve the mystery along with them, especially because I came for the romance!

**3.5-stars**

From Bad to Cursed is the second novel in The Witches of Thistle Grove Paranormal Romance series. For those unfamiliar with this series, the books are companion novels. They take place in the small, magical town of Thistle Grove following the same timeline, but each book focuses on different main characters.

In this installment, we're treated to Isidora Avramov and Rowan Thorn in a classic enemies-to-lovers scenerio; one of my favorite romance tropes. With the Beltane holiday approaching, the whole town of Thistle Grove is gearing up for the celebration. Unfortunately, before it even begins, their festival prep is sabotaged by a dark magical attack and a member of the Thorn family is seriously injured.

The four families end up selecting Issa and Rowan to investigate the mysterious attack. The two aren't happy about the pairing. They have a bit of a past. It involves a falling out at a local animal shelter that ended in Issa cursing Rowan with a batch of evil squirrels. Nevertheless, as they begin working together, the chemistry is evident. Before long, they're dropping their guard and getting to know one another better. Maybe they should have done this years ago.

This was a fun story. I love the feel of Thistle Grove. It's cozy and magical, full of interesting characters and events. I will say that I'm not sure how memorable this installment will be for me, but I definitely enjoyed it. There were some solid steamy scenes, a compelling mystery and charming magical elements. The plot itself is low-stakes, but that's not a bad thing. It was a relaxing, fun read and everyone needs one of those occasionally.

Additionally, I appreciated the backdrop of family dynamics. Issa and Rowan both come from close-knit families, but the functioning of those families is very different. I like how that was explored a bit. It was sort of a great example of how there is no one set way to be a loving family; it comes in all forms and functions. Every family is different, it doesn't mean they love less.

I'm definitely planning to continue on with this series. I like returning to the town and getting to know different people every time, but also seeing a bit of the previous characters. It feels like meeting up with old friends.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to the next book, Back in a Spell.

3.5 stars!

I’m a big fan of a witchy romance, so of course I was delighted to read the latest installment in The Witches of Thistle Grove series.

FROM BAD TO CURSED is an opposites attract/enemies to lovers romance with plenty of family drama, as the Avramovs and Thorns find themselves at the center of the feud.

I loved the sexy chemistry between Issa and her nemesis Rowan, as they put their differences aside to discover the mystery in the town of Thistle Grove.

Each story gets better and better and I can’t wait to continue on with this series.

*many thanks to Berkley Romance for the gifted copy for review

Lana Harper brings the magic one more time with From Bad to Cursed. Any time spent in Thistle Grove is a good time IMO. Loved reading Issa and Rowan's story and being reunited with other characters from the first book. It's definitely able to be read as a stand alone, but check out Payback's a Witch first if you can.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.