I really enjoyed reading "Payback's a Witch , the first installment of the "The Witches of Thistle Grove" series, so naturally I was intrigued by the opportunity to visit this magical world once again.

Don't worry if you haven't read "Payback's a Witch" though, it's definitely fine to read "From Bad to Cursed" without any prior knowledge!

While we're back in the same witchy town, this time Issa and Rowan are in focus. If you like the enemies to lovers trope, you'll love following along their relationship for sure.

They're thrown together to solve a new mystery overshadowing their town and respective families.

I loved the eerie atmosphere, the beautiful writing style, the charming chapter titles, Issa's struggle of having to choose between her own dream and the family business, Rowan being vegan, all the queer representation (including genderqueer rep), the very important discussions about racism, the witty references to horoscopes and so, so much more.

If you're a fan of witchy books like me, I'd definitely recommend this series.

This series is just so much witchy fun and book two didn’t disappoint!
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I love Isidora. She works designing costumes for the town’s haunted house and also might like to summon demons. She is starting to feel unfulfilled. She’s not sure she wants to stay in the witchy family business.
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Her plans have gone awry when someone is hurt at the Beltane festival and she investigates with Rowan Thorn. Of course Rowan and Isidore are total opposites, arch enemies and bound to fall in love and I was there for it!
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This series is a blast and I wish Thistle Grove was a real place! I can’t wait to see what comes next !
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Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure: I got this without realizing it was a second in a series. BUT, it was still immensely enjoyable and I hope to go back and read the first and look forward to any other in the series! This follows a town of witches - Thistle Grove - where four different clans rule the town. The Thorn family and the Avramov family have never really been on the best terms per se and definitely not Issa and Rowan, who count each other as arch enemies. However, when dark magic starts creeping into the town leading up to the Beltane festival, these two are thrown together to investigate and stop whatever evil is striking the town. Will these enemies become something else entirely?

Magic, romance and comedy - this was a super fun read! I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the Rowan/Issa vibe was fun to watch come together. As I said, second in a series I didn’t read the first of so there were definitely moments where I knew I was missing something, but overall, Lana Harper did a really good job of covering past events without overdoing it.

I was a huge fan of Lana Harper’s first novel in the Witches of Thistle Grove Series, Payback’s a Witch,. I eagerly awaited this second book in the series set in the fictional town of Thistle Grove. The town of Thistle Grove is comprised of magical families–the Thorns, the Blackmoores, the Harlowes and the Avramovs—who each have a magical affinities and areas of power. The Avramovs are necromancers, the Thorns have green magic and affinities for earth and nature, etc.

The rivalries between the families provide the fuel for the conflict that animates the plots of both books in the series. From Bad to Cursed is about Isidora Avramov, the younger sister of Talia Avramov the love interest in Payback’s a Witch. Isadora, also known as Issa, is a badass necromancer witch who resurrects demons for fun, dreams of being a fashion designer, loves to rescue animals and is extremely loyal to her family. She is also her mother’s right hand and is responsible for helping her mother with the Arcane Emporium, the family’s occult megastore. Issa is the artistic director of the Emporium’s haunted house. She described herself as a funhouse mirror version of her mother Elena—”we were [both] impulsive risk takers with a mile wide stubborn streak, allergic to convention.” Issa was a very charming character. Her narrative voice is fresh and funny. She’s a cross between Strawberry Shortcake and Morgan le Fay.

Her arch enemy is Rowan Thorn, a green witch from a rival family. At heart the story is an enemies to lovers romance, between Isadora aka Issa and Rowan Thorn. Rowan is a very sexy hero (also side note I LOVE his name and his physical description was HOT!). At one point Talia describes Rowan as “definitely less Thanos and more Killmonger.” Issa refers to him in her head as “Rowan Thorn, Wildlife Hero.” He’s a do-gooder superhero type who also happens to be very sexy. “He’s too busy delivering quintuplets foals all by himself, or saving a blind kitten from mortal peril,” Issa notes nastily while also admiring his hot body and his heavy-lidded hazel eyes. I don’t want to spoil the romantic and intimate scenes, but Rowan’s magic and his propensity for healing, nurturing and warmth, come very in handy during sexy times and intimacy. There was one scene in particular, involving hot baths, that was extremely sensual.

Because we don’t get any scenes from his perspective, and also because I felt the book didn’t give us enough of their romance, I felt that I didn’t really get to know Rowan all that well. What I did see and read made me like him a lot, and he is very much a fantasy boyfriend—-strong and nurturing and of course, very sexy. His magic is also very lovely and elegant and original–he talks to trees and animates flowers and helps things grow.

This is a partial review. The complete review can be found at Dear Author, here:

https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-a-reviews/a-reviews/review-from-bad-to-cursed-by-lana-harper/

I actually enjoyed this book more than the first. There’s less world building and more development on the people and relationships. We catch plenty of glimpses into Emmy and talia’s future while learning more about my favorite family, the Avramov’s, and their penchant for dark magic. When a Thorn family member is cursed, Isa and her sworn enemy Rowan must band together to find the culprit. It was dark, spooky and also romantic. All the spooky feels I needed in a perfect witch romance.

I loved the first in this series Payback's a Witch that was about Emmy and Talia. The second book is about Talia's sister Isidora.
This was a enemies to lovers romance which started with someone sabotaging the Beltane festival. Issa is asked to investigate with Rowan, her nemesis, who was at fault since it looked like it was her family.It was so great being back in Thistle Grove. I love all the different families magic and it seems there is a hierarchy of the powers and which is the best and which is the least. Which also might just be perceived and biased thinking.
After time spent together Isidora and Rowan, a Avramov and a Thorn learn a lot about eachother and can appreciate eachother's magic. There is also steam!
So excited for Back in a Spell! 

Thank you berkleypub and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper is the second book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series. I really enjoyed Payback’s a Witch and this continued to have the fun, charming small-town witchy vibes mixed with a good deal of intrigue and worldbuilding. While I didn’t connect with the characters quite as much, this was still a fast and enjoyable witchy romance.

This book follows Isidora Avramov, younger sister of main character Talia Avramov from the first installment. When a tragedy happens at Thistle Grove’s Beltane festival, a tragedy involving a dark necromantic curse, Issa is nominated to help investigate the event… along with Rowan Thorn, member of the rival Thorn family and Issa’s personal, longtime nemesis.

At its heart, this is an enemies to lovers romance, and while I thought the ‘enemies’ premise was a bit weak and lacked teeth, the arc between Isidora and Rowan was thoughtful and sweet. The romance in this one took a backseat to me to the mystery, spooky necromantic curses, witchy festivals ranging from sensual revel to solemn ceremony, and development of Thistle Grove and its lore.

I’ve seen a few people tagging this as an F/F romance, so as a note, this book definitely centers an M/F romance. The F/F couple from the first book gets a fair amount of screen time but is by no means center stage. Isidora mentions a rainbow crop top she wears to Pride, so I am assuming she is queer, but no specific label is given to her on page that I noted.

If you’re looking for a fun, witchy romcom, this series is easy to read and a great way to whisk yourself away to the magical town of Thistle Grove. I’ll definitely be continuing with the series when the next book is released!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and the second one was just as much fun, though in a different way.

Thistle Grove, the community of witches headed by several families, each with its distinctive vibe, comes together for a festival. The general favorite for Queen is Holly Thorn, genuinely nice and a terrific witch--but something goes really wrong, nearly killing her.

After a lot of mutual finger pointing, it's decided that mortal enemies (well, next thing to it) Rowan Thorn and Issa Avramov are the designated investigators. Not only are their families like water and oil, the Thorns being tree-huggers and sweet and nature loving, and the Avramovs a tad sinister, at home with ghosts and things that go bump in the night, but Rowan and Issa have History.

Magic and romance switch off, keeping the pacing brisk. I loved the crackling dialogue, I love the characters, I love the diversity. I hope this series will have lots and lots of sequels, as I'm interested in ALL the Thistle Grove families.

I always love when a world is expanded upon and this book gets the expansion in just the right ways. I just unfortunately, was not a super big fan of the enemies-to-lovers in this as I was the romance in the last one.

3.5🌟 Witchy and funny, we are back in Thistle Grove but this time with Issa and Rowan.

Even though this isn’t technically a sequel, I found myself a little confused and distracted by the plot for the first section of the book readjusting to the language and world of Thistle Grove. By the time we got to the romance, I just didn’t overall feel very invested.

I really like the world the author has created, and I think it is the best world building/magic of all the witchy romances that came out within the last year IMO.

The story ended up being cute and if you wanted a book about witches this one is definitely still worth picking up! I think I just preferred the first (Payback’s a Witch).

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for this one in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed Payback's a Witch, so I fully expected to feel the same way about this sequel. Unfortunately, this one didn't work quite as well for me. I still had a good time reading this, and it gave me some Once Upon a Time vibes, but I just didn't connect to the characters in the same way. I would have liked to see a little more focus on the romance, because as it is, I felt like the mystery took over a little and I didn't end up feeling like I'd gotten to know the characters all that well, which makes it a little hard to ship them.

I really liked this book, the follow up to Payback’s a Witch. It’s a great enemies to lovers witchy romance.
We’re back in Thistle Grove, the magical town started by 3 different families and still run by them. Each family has its own special type of magic. The Avramovs practice “death” magic; they summon demons and have their own library of curses. The Thorn family practices green magic involving plants. The families rarely intermarry because of the innate prejudices they have towards each other.
After a special ceremony is disrupted by a spell that attacks a member of the Thorne family, the elders want an investigation and appoint Isadora Avramove and Rowan Thorn.

Issa and Rowan have been enemies for years, but they’ve grown up and there’s a strong attraction between them now. They need to figure out what to do about their feelings while they solve the crime.

I loved watching their feelings grow, their chemistry is strong. Lana Harper does a wonderful job with the witchy families backgrounds, and the spells and demons are detailed and really interesting.

I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

While there are four founding families in the witchy town of Thistle Grove, the Avramovs and Thorns have always been at odds from way back in founding days. The Avramovs use death magic and lean toward the darker side, while the Thorns are all about green magic and a love of nature. The animosity extends into present day, and Isidora Avramov is still angry about the way veterinarian Rowan Thorn got her kicked out of her position volunteering at the animal shelter years ago. Rowan is just so sunny and squeaky clean and he drives Issa crazy.

When a Thorn witch is attacked by a form of dark magic, eyes turn toward the Avramovs in suspicion. As the Thorn heir and family of the injured party, Rowan is tasked with leading the investigation into the attack. And since the Avramovs are sort of assumed to be behind it all, despite the protest of Issa and her family, Issa is selected to work with him to find out what really happened.

As Rowan and Issa work together to get to the bottom of the attack, their relationship slowly begins to thaw as they find some common ground. They learn more about one another, more about each other’s magic, and start to have more respect for each other’s ways. An attraction also begins to bloom between them, and while neither one would have ever suspected it, they are now both totally hot for one another. But there is a dangerous witch still out there, one who seems to be escalating their attacks. If Rowan and Issa can’t figure out who is behind it before it’s too late, lives will be on the line.

From Bad to Cursed is the second book in Lana Harper’s fun and charming Witches of Thistle Grove series. The series follows the descendants of the magical town’s four founding witch families and this story focuses on the Thorns and Avramovs. While we do see Talia and Emmy here from Payback’s a Witch, and there are some callbacks to events of the first book, I think you can start here from a plot perspective. That said, I think the first book lays out more of the world building, as well as giving a stronger sense of these families and their characteristics, so starting from book one is even better.

This is a pretty standard enemies to lovers set up, with Rowan and Issa at odds at the start and ultimately falling for one another. It doesn’t break any new ground as far as the trope is concerned, but they are an engaging opposites attract pairing and I found them really great together once they get past their dislike of one another. Not only are they very different personalities, with Issa being more wild and risk taking and Rowan more straight laced and grounded, but their approaches to magic are totally different as well. And while both are very close to their families, the Thorns and Avramovs are also quite different. So there is a lot here the pair must work through to find that common ground. I liked that after their initial resistance, both Issa and Rowan are open to learning more about one another and accepting each other. This isn’t a super high heat book, but there is great chemistry between them and a nice sensuality to the more reserved Rowan that really works for the story.

I found the investigation interesting, in part because it gives us a chance to meet and interact with various side characters and get to know the town and the families a little better. This isn’t hard core intense in terms of mysteries, but it is fun to follow along with Rowan and Issa as they figure out who is behind the attacks. My favorite part of this series is the four founding families and the creative way Harper has crafted their personalities. I also like how the books so far have centered around events and holidays in the witch world, so we get a chance to see a little more of that magical world. The world building overall is on the lighter side, but I am enjoying how it all comes together.

I also really appreciate the diversity of the series, with all kinds of representation in terms of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc. The first book features two women and bisexual rep, while this one is male/female (and the next looks to be female/non-binary). I’ll be honest that I can’t remember if either of these characters identifies as LGBTQ in some way, but the rainbow is well represented across the book. We also learn that both families have a lot of mixed race marriages, and Rowan himself is Black. So there is a lot of diversity here in the series, which I really appreciate, and I am enjoying the variety of romantic pairings.

I am having a lot of fun with this series and find it an engaging paranormal with a nice dose of lightness and snark. We learn the next couple at the end of this book (we get a preview of the first chapters at about the 90% mark here) and I am super excited as they both seem intriguing. If you enjoy stories featuring magic, strong female characters, and a diverse cast, this series is definitely one to check out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thistle Grove continues to be great fun! I found it easy to dive back into this world and loved how much magical lore there was without it being overcomplicated. The characters were great and I loved Issa -- though I think her "wanting to be a fashion designer" plot was a little thin, I liked the family struggle she felt and loved to see it resolve well. And Rowen was a hunk! I am eager to explore more of this town and the great witches in it!

4 stars.

I love a romance that incorporates deeper issues (anxiety, race, and more in this one), and this one has that plus witches. The Thistle Grove community and the various family's businesses make for such a strangely charming setting, and I loved the excellent communication between Issa and Rowan. I definitely recommend reading the first book in this series first. While the romance is obviously standalone, it builds upon the established world and characters from Payback's a Witch.

Rating 4.5/5
Plot 4.5/5
Spice 3/5
Character Development 5/5

[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book]

“From Bad to Cursed” is the second book in Lana Harper’s “Witches of Thistle Grove” series. This book tells the story of Isidora (Issa) Avramov and Rowan Thorn. The novel follows an opposites attract and enemies to lovers trope. Issa is a wild child and thrill seeker. When she’s not working at Arcane Emporium’s haunted house, Issa secretly dreams of leaving her family’s witchy business to become a fashion designer. There has been a never-ending feud between the Avramovs and Thorns and when a member of the Thorn family gets injured due to dark and dangerous magic being used by someone, all fingers point to the Avramovs. To clear their name, Issa investigates the situation alongside Rowan. As the two foes follow clues to a staggering conclusion, Issa and Rowan realize how little they know about each other yet discover how much they are attracted to one another.

I love a good opposites attract and forbidden love story! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and had a fun time uncovering the mystery alongside Issa and Rowan. I recommend reading the first book in the series (“Payback’s a Witch”) before jumping into this one because although it’s an interconnected series, you’ll face spoilers from book one while reading “From Bad to Cursed”.

Opposites attract, enemies to lovers, family feuds - they all work well for romance, and they tend to generate some heat of one kind or another. This second visit to Thistle Grove is as much fun as the first, and the writing transported me right back there. World building is a big deal for me, and it can make or break a story. There's certainly nothing broken here. Like the first book, this place and these people feel real. Lana Harper has created an atmosphere that almost convinces me the fantastical things in this book can happen. Add to that a couple with crazy good chemistry whether they want to admit it or not, and a mystery to solve, and this is one hard to put down read. It's fast paced, witty, and loads of fun from the first line to the last. I'll leave details to be discovered and just say this is another must read book in this must read series, and I can't wait to see what's next for Thistle Grove.

This was a highly entertaining enemies to lovers paranormal, interracial romance perfect for fans of The ex hex. Issa and Rowan are from two of the founding magical families of Thistle Grove. When weird things start happening, these two agree to put aside their family's feud in order to team up and investigate what's going on. Along the way sparks fly (literally) and they have to battle demons and ghosts in order to get their small town back under control. Highly entertaining and great on audio. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy.

3.5⭐
Thank you so much to Berkley, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I loved being back in Thistle Grove and with this ridiculously fun families. This town is creepy, mysterious, and enchanting. And despite their quirks, I can't help but love these families.

I went into this one expecting another contemporary-esque story but this one was much more romance heavy than the previous book - which I enjoyed! I loved getting to spend more time with the Avramov family and get to know the magic even better.

One of the things I really love about this series/world is all the world and magical building that Lana Harper puts into this. This amount of a world building is not often seen in a romance heavy fantasy but I really enjoyed getting to explore those details.

I also just think Lana Harper's writing is stunning. There's something about it that feels magical and pairs perfectly with this type of mysterious, witchy story. It makes the book feel immersive.

The chemistry between Issa and Rowan was fantastic and I was definitely rooting for them to be together. And the mystery itself was so fun!

However, I felt as though this book lost a little steam around the 60% mark. I felt as though the characters were going through the same romantic circle too many times. And something about the (suuuuper late) 3rd act conflict just didn't work for me.

I'm not sure if this is due to the fact that we only get Issa's POV, but I felt like Rowan unfairly put too much blame on Issa.

But overall I enjoyed this a whole lot. And I can't wait to get another book in this world next year!

"Opposites attract in this wickedly charming rom-com by Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch.

Wild child Isidora Avramov is a thrill chaser, adept demon summoner, and - despite the whole sexy-evil-sorceress vibe - also a cuddly animal lover. When she’s not designing costumes and new storylines for the Arcane Emporium’s haunted house, Issa's nursing a secret, conflicted dream of ditching her family’s witchy business to become an indie fashion designer in her own right.

But when someone starts sabotaging the celebrations leading up to this year's Beltane festival with dark, dangerous magic, a member of the rival Thorn family gets badly hurt - throwing immediate suspicion on the Avramovs. To clear the Avramov name and step up for her family when they need her the most, Issa agrees to serve as a co-investigator, helping none other than Rowan Thorn get to the bottom of things.

Rowan is the very definition of lawful good, so tragically noble and by-the-book he makes Issa’s teeth hurt. In accordance with their families’ complicated history, he and Issa have been archenemies for years and have grown to heartily loathe each other. But as the unlikely duo follow a perplexing trail of clues to a stunning conclusion, Issa and Rowan discover how little they really know each other...and stumble upon a maddening attraction that becomes harder to ignore by the day."

I am here for ALL the witchy rom-coms!