I very much enjoyed the return to Thistle Grove and its witch families. Not only did Lana Harper offer some steamy sweet romantic feels in FROM BAD TO CURSED, but also some strikingly original and genuinely horrific moments as well.

I tore through this book. The main characters, Rowan Thorn and Isidora "Izzy" Avramov are well-developed and both show some growth over the course of the story. Izzy more so because we are in her first-person point of view but we do see some changes in the oh, so handsome Rowan as well. I wish we had gotten a little bit more time to see the relationship between them grow from antagonism to love and the end of the mystery seemed fast but I really liked this book and can't wait for the next one in the series.
The Avramov family are the local necromancers. It seems obvious that they might have some friction with the Thorns whose magic has an affinty for growing and healing. It doesn't completely explain why Rowan Thorn was so against Izzy working in the local animal adoption center. It does, however, explain all eyes looking to the Avromov family when a thorn is hexed at the local festival. Based on the witch governmental rulings, a representative from each family is allowed to investigate. As the scion of the Thorn family, Rowan is chosen. Izzy's sister is the Avramov scian but she is connected to the arbitrator so Izzy becomes the stand-in. Working together gives them time to talk and to work through old hurts and also solve the problem of who would like to hurt the Thorn family.

Four stars
This book comes out May 13, 2022
Follows Payback's a Witch
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Lana Harper knows how to draw readers into a story with one sentence. From Bad to Cursed is the second book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series. It meshes bits of several subgenres including paranormal romantic comedy, supernatural suspense, and a mystery. Isidora (Issa) Avramov is a member of one of the four witch families that founded Thistle Grove, Illinois. Her family’s specialty is necromancy. When someone starts sabotaging town celebrations using a strong necromantic curse and a member of the Thorn family gets hurt, Issa and her nemesis Rowan Thorn are selected to serve as co-investigators.

Issa chases thrills, is pragmatic, stubborn, and bold; she’s the artistic director for the family’s haunted house, and secretly wants to design her own clothing line. However, guilt and fear are holding her back. Rowan is a by-the book type of person and has a low opinion of Issa after she volunteered at a wildlife sanctuary seven years ago while he was a veterinarian intern there. Both experience growth as their investigation unfolds, but I wanted to see a more profound change in him. The other characters are racially and lifestyle diverse and had an appropriate amount of depth for their roles.

The writing is terrific and flows so well the pages flew by. The plot is solid, absorbing, and intriguing with a storyline that definitely packed a punch. The diverse characterization and great world-building details provide insight into the town’s inhabitants and their differences. With the brisk pace, readers can feel the angst of the two main characters as they try to make sense of the circumstances they find themselves in, with perplexing clues and surprising feelings. The ending has some surprises that will likely astound some readers. A small quibble was the immaturity of the two main characters, especially during the first half of the book. They didn’t act as if they were in their mid-to-late 20’s. Themes include hatred, family, family dynamics, romance, friendship, envy, misunderstandings, family obligations versus personal desires, anxiety, and much more.

Overall, this tense and engaging novel unleashes wit, suspense, action, and romance that make it a powerful page-turner. If you enjoy excellent paranormal romances with a mystery, then I recommend that you check out this one. I am looking forward to finding out what happens next in Thistle Grove. This novel works as a standalone novel, but readers will get more background if they start with book one.

Berkley Publishing Group and Lana Harper provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for May 17, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I will never say No to an enemies to lovers! This one was so cute! I really enjoyed every single second of it. I will say that I probably should have read the first in the series before getting to this one, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! Issa and Rowan are so cute together! Thank you for the e-ARC!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book. Review contains my own thoughts and opinions.

From Bad to Cursed was a delightfully fun, witchy romance with a good dosage of emotion, too. Isidora Avramov and Rowan Thorn are tasked with investigating after Rowan’s cousin is hit with powerful magic during a town celebration - and Issa’s family is suspected due to the type of magic involved. Their chemistry and banter was fantastic - especially since they started out as enemies.

Some of my favorite parts were the little nicknames Issa called Rowan in her head - like Rowan Thorn, (Wasteyface) Wildlife Hero, and Rowan Thorn, Wildlife Hero (and Utmost Gentleman). I was chuckling inside at how they changed with time.

Lana Harper does a fantastic job of setting the scene of Thistle Grove. I could visualize the town and it’s many parts, the outfits, the way that magic looks and feels to the characters - it felt like I was right there with them.

While this is a second in the series, it works well as a standalone. Recommend this book to those that love witchy/fantasy romances with modern times, enemies-to-more, and lots of great chemistry and banter between the leads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: racism

This is the second book in the series but can be read entirely as a standalone

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f frenemies to lovers
-major denial
-forced proximity
-paranormal romance
-rival families
-opposites attract
-forbidden romance elements
-what happens in the magical forest stays in the magical forest
-small town vibes

Gosh what a perfect followup. I loved the first book in the series, a return to home book, and now we are fully immersed in this witchy town and the founding families and this was such a fun romance, with a bit of an adventure/mystery plot that was perfectly balanced.

The sexual chemistry was immediately brewing between Issa and Rowan, both committed to their families. Issa's chaotic vibes against Rowan's calmer stoicism. With bad vibes from growing up, these two are forced together and not enjoying it at first but they can't fight it and that first kiss was electric. The way the chemistry and feelings was written in this book was just gorgeous. I could not get over the gorgeous prose, the feelings and just how thrown into this world I was. Fully immersed, needing to know what was going on with the curse, and even more what was going to happen next between Issa and Rowan.

I adored how these two protected each other, understood each other, talked through their misunderstandings and used their magic. And I'm so ready for book 3 after that preview. This series just keeps getting better and better.

Steam: 3

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley, and Ms. Harper for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I really did not realize that this was the second book in a series. I don't think you need to have read the first book to follow along here, as there was plenty of context to understand the characters and setting.

I found this to be a light, fun, paranormal rom-com that occasionally got a little heavy-handed with woke statements that didn't add much to the plot other than establishing the author's feelings on certain subjects. Some of the dialogue was also a little heavy on the ultramodern slang; some of it felt like reading a teenager's texts or reddit comments. Perhaps I'm old? but reading that someone is a 'softboi' takes me out of the story a little. I don't call all the women I meet "sis", either (not even my actual sister); I really only see that in internet-speak, although that's not to say no one does it. I would have liked Rowan to be a little more fleshed-out character-wise. For example, Isidora repeatedly refers to him in her head as Rowan Thorn, Wildlife Hero, and that (other than the fact that he's hot and squabbles with Isidora and has great locs, apparently) is pretty much all there is to him.

I would say on the positive side that I thought Isidora's mental health issues and panic/anxiety attacks felt very honestly and realistically depicted. I'm not a reader who checks representation boxes in books (ex: mental health rep? ✅ lgbtqia rep? ✅ diverse racial rep? ✅) but it is nice WHEN I come across issues like that for them to be accurately portrayed, and I felt like it was here.

I really related to Isidora's anxiety about disappointing her mom with her life choices and career goals, and I thought that that conflict was resolved well. However, I had guessed the "who" and "why" behind the main conflict about halfway through, and I was a teeny bit disappointed that it was that easy.

If you really liked book #1, you'll probably like this one. If you like a lite romcom featuring witches, you'll probably like this. I'm not sure it was my cup of tea but I'd recommend it to readers looking for this sort of story, especially if they like their dialogue a little extra.

For readers who love rom-coms with a light touch of fantasy, this book will be the absolutely perfect recommendation. Fun story with great characters.

From Bad to Cursed is the second book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper. A paranormal fantasy full of mystery and intrigue that is sure to take you away to another place, another time. The enemies-to-lovers trope was perfectly thrown into the equation, and the sexy chemistry between two all-time nemeses was fiery and intense! I can't wait to read the next book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series.

Return to the magical town of Thistle Grove in the sequel to Lana Harper's "Payback's a Witch" This time we follow Isidora Avramov, after she steps up to represent the Aramov family after a spell gone wrong and suspicion has been thrown at their doorstep. The catch, she has to work with her archenemy and prestigious do gooder Rowan Thorn. If you love enemies to lovers stories, but also wish there was some magic involved, this book is for you!

Thoroughly enjoyed this one! I'm not sure if romantasy is at it's peak right now, but I'm looking forward to more!

On the fence with this one. If you read the first in the series, yes - read it. If you like the description, read the first one before this. I hadn't read the first in the series and the whole book seemed a bit off to me. I felt that the trend to add little politically correct things that really don't add anything to the story but publishers must feel are important was present. So I find it's confusing.

I received an ARC from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.

I ended up only reading to 10%. I didnt realize this was the second in a series and I really want to read the first one first, so I'll be doing that and either coming to this or purchasing it.

Thank you!

Reviewed for Shelf Awareness Readers newsletter. Review will run on or around release date. Content may change slightly during editing.
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Lana Harper follows Payback's a Witch with From Bad to Cursed, another paranormal rom-com in the charming, witchy small town of Thistle Grove. Until one family took over, Thistle Grove's four founding families lived mostly in harmony, each focused on a different branch of magic and building their businesses accordingly. Isadora Avramov family works with death magic--necromancy, speaking to spirits, summoning demons--so when a witch from another family is hexed in public, the town immediately suspects them. Veterinarian Rowan Thorn and Isadora have been at odds ever since he fired her from her volunteer gig at the local animal shelter, but now that someone tried to kill his cousin, they must work together to bring the culprit to justice.
In pairing a Thorn and an Avramov, Lana Harper draws a parallel to the enemies to lovers or opposites attract dynamic: Rowan's magic is that of life, growth and nature while Isadora's is death. The strongest scenes are those in which the main characters experience each other's gifts and learn to appreciate both the magic and the person. The romance itself develops gradually and Harper again dedicates much of the book to relationships between women and family. Still, the two of them face the dramatic climactic battle together, each half necessary for peace and community.
Harper cuts the sweetness with just the right amount of spooky, resulting in a paranormal-lite romance that can be enjoyed all year round.

A nice light read. I enjoyed returning to Thistle Grove. I loved Isidora. Strong, confident and decisive woman. Rowan was fun counterpart to her. What I did enjoy was them playing detective to solve The Who did the hex part. Them getting to know each other’s worlds more intimately. I look forward to book 3.

Isidora is the wild child of a family of witches who work with the dead. Her problem is that she wants to get out of the family business of creating haunted houses and start a normal fashion brand. Then someone her family's magic brand to ruin events. Isidora has to team up with her arch-enemy, Rowan, to find out who is doing this.

This was an fine story. The setting is the best thing. However, this romance felt lacking. Isidora and Rowan can be cute but the build up was blah.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Issa was a very compelling main character. Not only did she have a lot of personality, but she was a very complex character and that was made clear pretty much from the beginning of the book. She had things she wanted and her inner struggle with those things was apparent and defined early on. She had a very distinct personality, and the contrast between who she was, how people viewed her and who she wanted to be made the interactions she had with other characters very interesting. Overall, she had a great character arc between resolving her internal conflict and the external threat in the story. Rowan was a character I was less excited about. I didn’t think he was a bad character, but very little about him stood out. His personality came across as a little bland. He didn’t seem to be as complex as Issa. He and Issa are meant to be total opposites, and I was hoping he’d have more personality to clash with hers, but I didn’t see it. So, rather than two great leads, there was a great lead and an okay one.

As the blurb indicates, Rowan and Issa develop an attraction as the story progresses. I don’t really have an opinion on the romance in this book in either direction. I wasn’t reading this book primarily for the romance, but I knew it would be an element. The development of the romance felt natural to the story, but nothing about it was especially memorable.

The plot of this book is a bit of a mixed bag. The first scene of this book is fantastic in giving a feel for the story and Issa as the narrator. The significance of the beginning isn’t obvious until later, but the author gave readers a great, and memorable, start to the story. The story has a steady progression leading up to the inciting incident, the sabotaging of a member of the Thorn family. Once that’s over, the story moves forward in fits and spurts. The main plot is about Issa and Rowan trying to figure out what happened, but at times it feels like it comes to a stop. Rather than develop the romance alongside progression of the main plot, the two are switching on and off, vying for attention. I wasn’t a fan of this because it made the external threat, the dark magic at play, feel like it wasn’t as serious as characters made it out to be. The climax of the novel almost made up for the slow middle. Not only was the climax exciting, but the resolution was unexpected. The conclusion ended in a way that made sense, but was also surprising. There were little hints about what was really going on throughout the story, but they were easy to overlook and made for a surprising, yet satisfying end to the story.

Since this is the second book in a series, discussing the world-building and magic system focuses more on what was added to the world in this story, rather than an overview of either element. The world was built out a little more from what the reader was shown in Payback’s A Witch, and the history between the witch families was explored to a greater extent. The conflicts between the families have a long history and this book explored that a lot more than the first one. The magic system is the same as before, but the concept of curses was introduced this time around. Not only did curses being involved add a complication to the plot, but it added depth and dimension to the magic system and raised the stakes of the conflict. The magic system is still very soft and loose, but this book shows it’s a little murkier, a little less rigid in terms of rules this time around.

From Bad to Cursed was a book I liked, but didn’t love. The narrator was a fantastic character and the book has a great start and a fantastic conclusion. The middle of the book has some slow points and the second main character wasn’t nearly as memorable. The author was able to expand on the world of Thistle Grove more, as well as add some interesting elements to the magic system. I wish I had gotten a little bit more out of this book, but it wasn’t a disappointment by any means. It’s a fun, entertaining read and I liked that this book could work as a standalone, as well as a sequel.

A huge thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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This is the second book in the Thistle Grove Witches series by Lana Harper. I surprisingly enjoyed the first one (surprising only because witchcraft and fantasy aren’t usually my go to genres), and I was excited when this book landed in my inbox. Isadora and Rowan are characters that we met briefly in Payback’s A Witch, but Issa was mentioned more or less in passing. Having her take center stage and being an antithesis to the previous main character really brings the reader into the world from a different perspective.
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Issa and Rowan are the definition of friends to lovers, and Harper plots this troupe skillfully; weaving their history into the present without the story getting too expositional. Their journey feels authentic and Issa is not a witch to be messed with or taken lightly. It was lovely to see her be the one doing the rescuing and not always needing to be rescued by her male counterpart. I also have to give a shout out to the secondary plot line of the haunted house that Issa’s family curates and runs. As a person who works in technical theatre, there was such care taken when writing about the design process and that alone felt magical!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

We return to Thistle Grove with From Bad to Cursed, the sequel to Payback’s a Witch. The vibes are still strong and I continue to desperately want to live in these books.

From Bad to Cursed is an enemies to lovers romance between wild child Isidora and tragically noble Rowan. The two are forced together to solve who is sabotaging the Beltane festival’s celebrations and clear their families’ names. In a shocking turn of events, they fall for each other.

This series continues to be the cutest. I wish I would have read this in October for the proper ~aesthetic~. I just love the town and the magic system. Issa and Rowan have excellent enemies to lovers chemistry with some Romeo and Juliet vibes thrown in. I enjoyed catching up with past characters and seeing more of this witchy world.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted on publication date.

Second times a charm for Lana Harper and her Witches of Thistle Grove. Loved this second outing almost more than the first! Rowan and Issa have a shaky past, as it was alluded to in Payback, which has their animosity at an all time high. However, when they are forced to team up to investigate who has cast a particularly nasty spell that injured Rowan’s cousin and her magic, they start sparking in a different way. I cannot wait for the next jaunt to Thistle Grove!
**I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Definitely a great read.**