This will be a near=perfect Halloween read. You can practically smell the pumpkin spice wafting off this book, and it leans into that. The protagonists have a lovely combo of chemistry and antagonism, and yet find ways to be gentle and loving. Also, they are incredibly sexy together.

In the second book of “The Ex Hex” series, we’re back in Graves Glen and this time it’s Gwynnevere Jones taking on a new Penhallow guy (her cousin Vivienne was able to snag Rhys Penhallow in the last book and now they’re married). This time it’s Llewellyn, also known as Wells, and remembered by Gwyn as the guy with attitude who ruined one of her spells in school many years ago. Wells couldn’t even bother to show up for his brother Rhys and Vivi’s wedding, but now he’s back from Wales to do, um, something, in the ancestral village (Rhys, at least was laying “ley lines” the last time, to keep the village enchanted and protected, although the Jones witches now have control). Wells strolls into town when Rhys and Vivi coincidentally go on their Welsh honeymoon and he proceeds to open up a competing store, Penhallow’s Magical Goods, across from the local witches’ retail shop, Something Wicked. Adding to the teasing rivalry is the arrival of a suspicious former friend and the atmosphere changes. Gwynn’s magic is affected. What the hex?

5 stars!!! Who won’t love this marvelous romantic sequel from Erin Sterling (pen name of thriller author Rachel Hawkins) that’s being published just in time for pumpkin spice season? The characters are all adorable, the town is super quaint (both tourists and witchy types live in harmony), and there’s that personal tension that, of course, explodes into something else. This will be published on September 20 — preorder it now (or get ahead of the hundreds of library reservations that will occur when the book comes out)!

Looks like there’s another (very hirsute and maybe downright furry) Penhallow brother left (Bowen). Time for him to return to Graves Glen next Halloween and be a pest to another cute witch — I’ll be eagerly awaiting that story!

Thank you to Avon, HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Gwyn has vivid green eyes and Sir Purrcival, the talking cat, has yellow green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Everything horticultural is pretty much magical, so any irises blooming in the winter would be excused.

I can't believe it is getting closer to fall. I'm excited for the vibes and a witchy book is just what I needed.

I read The Ex Hex last year and loved it. When I got approved of this I was so ready. And it was definitely worth the hype.

We met Gywn in book one and at that point she was in an on and off relationship with Jane, the town mayor. This book is about a year later and with all the changes going on in the town, Gwyn also seems like she's looking for more than a fling or hook up in the relationship department.

Wells is Rhys' older brother who is the "responsible one." He unlike his other two brothers still has a relatively okay relationship with their father. But if we read Ex Hex, we know that Simon Penhallow sucks. Wells decides (after talking to Da) that he will move back to Graves Glen and open his own magic shop.

So Gwyn and Wells become rivals pretty instantly which makes it the perfect set up for enemies to lovers. Add in that they are opposites and Gwen is sunshine and Wells is grumpy, we have all the great tropes.

The chemistry is very hot and watching these two fight their growing attraction was pretty funny. But there was also some questionable magic going on in the town along with Gwyn's powers being on the fritz. Wells and Gwyn work together to help save the town. Sort of like how Rhys and Vivi did in the last book.

If you are ready for fall and love some witchy vibes check this one and The Ex Hex out! This one comes out September 20th!

I am ready for spooky season and all the witchy reads! 👻🎃

I was so excited to have the opportunity to read THE KISS CURSE by Erin Sterling because I absolutely loved the first book in the series (THE EX HEX). I was prepared to fall head over heels in love with another Hallmark-esque romance but this one blew my expectations out of the water!

I already knew going in that I would ~maybe~ like this one more because we had Gwyn front and center. I adored her in the first book and was so excited for her to get her own love story and I was not in the least disappointed. This was the fluffy and adorable romance I was looking for. The immediate chemistry between Wells and Gwyn was so much fun to read about and just having them get under each other’s skin was a true chef’s kiss!

Also, Sir Purrcival is THE moment and absolutely thrived in the spotlight 😻

I was so excited to return to Graves Glen! I loved the adorable Halloween town when I read The Ex Hex. It’s back and just as lovable in The Kiss Curse. The characters I met and loved are back, along with some fun new additions. Gwyn Jones is amazing, and i love her punny fashion sense. I found myself making a list of all the fun fall shirts I now need, if only Something Wicked was a real shop! This book was funny and sweet, but also had some good drama and tension. I love to read seasonally and this is the perfect book to add to your fall TBR and enjoy with a pumpkin spice latte. I highly recommend this sequel, even if you haven’t yet read the first book!

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘷𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 the ARC.

I’m not normally a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, but Gwyn and Wells won me over.

Gwyn’s family magic powers the town. Wells is from another ancient witch family that formerly ran the town. New witches have flocked to the town because of the power shift and spooky things are happening.

Gwyn is determined not be drawn to Wells on a romantic level and Wells feels the same about Gwyn. They are opposites. Gwyn is cool and fun while Wells is stiff and formal. The two join forces to figure out the magical changes in the town and find love along the way. I will say it helps to read the first book in the series before reading this. Go ahead and buy both. I’m giving you permission.

I received an ARC for my honest review.

This was a nice romp through Graves Glen. I enjoyed the escape to fall with a very attractive but grumpy Penhallow brother. I love the baby witches, Sir Purrcival, and the kitsch of Something Wicked. Honestly I just appreciate the humor and escapism this book provided. I’m hoping we get to return again in the future.

Witches are the main characters I didn't know I needed in my rom coms. As a fairly strict contemporary romance reader--absolutely no fantasy or sci fi, and historical only occasionally--I decided last year to give books like The Ex Hex and Payback's a Witch a try. And I'm so glad I did! Both series intertwine love and adventure beautifully, with a dash of magic that somehow seems believable and approachable.

In this book, wild child Gwyn is holding down the fort in Graves Glen while her aunt and sister are away. But when an old college friend and her annoying brother-in-law come to town, it creates more chaos and sexual tension than she was prepared for. Determined to handle things on her own, Gwyn teams up with her brother-in-law to find the source of disarray in town. Of course the line between love and hate is a fine one?

Just like the first, I love this book--maybe even more. It was exactly what I needed, in its excitement yet romance and the perfect conclusion. I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

Thanks to Avon for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyage and Netgalley for giving me this ARC of The Kiss Curse in exchange for an honest review!

I will start off with how much I enjoyed The Kiss Curse. I felt like it was such a fun and easy read and it really helped me kick into “autumn” mode. I love fall and it’s my favorite season. I love all things spoopy and this book was such a fun read! There was steam and I just also loved the pining and humor. Soo excited for all of my friends to read this!! It was so cute!

📖My Thoughts📖

This was my second book by Erin Sterling and I loved it just as much as I loved the first one, if not more. This was a fun, entertaining and quick read. I enjoy books involving witches as well as rom-coms, so throw the two together and it’s a match made in heaven. To me there was the perfect amount of romance, conflict, magic, smut and twists. This was the sequel to The Ex Hex, but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed revisiting the people of Graves Glen and even meeting some new people. I know this book hasn’t even come out yet, but I’m already anxious for another one! Erin Sterling is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. If you’re looking for a good light enjoyable rom-com this fall, I highly recommend you pick this one up. Falls a coming and it’s time to get your witch on!
Thank you Netgalley, Erin Sterling and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I LOVED this one. It's even better than the first, which I also adored. This follows Vivi's cousin, Gwyn, and Rhys's brother, Wells. While Vivi and Rhys are finally going on their honeymoon, Gwyn and Wells hold down Grave's Glen. A new coven of witches comes to town the same time Gwyn starts losing her magic. It's up the two to figure out why, and how to stop it.
The writing was fun and easy. I love the banter between Gwyn and Wells. This books feels like a warm, autumn hug, and one that I will want to read every year to follow in October!

Thank you so much for this one NetGalley!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the eARC of The Kiss Curse (The Ex Hex, #2) in exchange for my honest opinion. I honestly loved it.

Qwyn Jones & Wells Penhollow... are you kidding me? I didn't think that Erin Sterling could top the fun, atmospheric, and hot The Ex Hex but I am happy to be proved wrong. The Kiss Curse was fun, not quite as atmospheric, and hotter. Are you looking for a rom-com about witches? The Kiss Curse is what you are looking for this fall. Enemies to lovers. THE LONGING! The talking cat! The banter! I didn't want to put it down.

Do yourself a favor, if you are looking for a light and fun read this fall, add The Ex Hex and The Kiss Curse to your TBR. The mysteries will keep you guessing and the romances will provide plenty of serotonin. The mystery wrap ups and action scenes could use-- more. There's a lot of potential for more action. But the romance is ON POINT- swooning, longing, butterflies, and characters who are fun to cheer for. Steam level is at a 3/5. Not super graphic, by any means but well done. The banter is great with definite laugh out loud moments. 4/5 stars. I will be buying my own copy on September 20th.

PLEASE NOTE: I will add this review to Amazon and Instagram closer to its release date. It is on GoodReads now.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“The Kiss Curse” by Erin Sterling
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
✈️ to: Georgia

"The Kiss Curse" is the sequel to "The Ex Hex," but told from the perspectives of witch Gwyn Jones (Vivi's cousin) and Wells Penhallow. If you haven't read the first book, I highly recommend not reading this review.

That being said, I enjoyed "The Kiss Curse" substantially more than I did its predecessor. When I tell you this book made me PINE for fall. It was the perfect autumnal comfort read. I loved sassy, quirky Gwyn with her goofy talking cat (Sir Purrcival) and Halloween tchotchkes. She and the seemingly grumpy/proper Wells made the perfect duo.

My only complaint might be that I thought there was going to be a bit more of villain show down. The story was building towards that, but it concluded a little too quickly. All in all, I loved this book. It's super fun, atmospheric and romantic. Sometimes that's more than enough.

In this book, we travel back to Georgia and see things from Gwyn’s point of view- and Wells when he comes along. I have conflicting feelings about this book. I enjoyed reading it, I loved that Vivi and Rhys were still around because I so enjoyed the dynamic between those three from The Ex Hex. It was a really good read HOWEVER, I do not feel like there really were any stakes in this book. You knew what was going to happen romance-wise, and it happened pretty quickly. From the magic standpoint, you knew something was amiss but it was not a big issue until you found out what happened around 90% through the book. I found myself wondering if this book would end of a cliffhanger but no, Gwyn solved everything by 94% through the book. So, I found myself reading more for the relationship dynamics between the Baby Witches and Glinda 😉 and then the Penhallows and the Joneses- AND SIR PURRCIVAL . So, if you want to read a book about the characters from The Ex Hex- read this. But, if you’re looking for stakes as high as those in the Ex Hex, this book will only deliver on those. I think it is all about managing expectations because, as I said, this is a fun read which I enjoyed.

I absolutely adored this book! Gwyn is feisty, headstrong, and all around badass. I loved the banter between her and Wells. They knew exactly which buttons to push for each other.

Gwyn’s relationship with her Baby Witches was endearing and fun. The town gave all the best quirky small town vibes I wanted. I could practically feel the crisp fall air and smell the apple cider.

If you are looking for some witchy vibes for your fall reading I can’t recommend The Kiss Curse enough.

Love it! I was hesitant because I absolutely loved The Ex Hex and didn’t want to lose my love for it with “second book syndrome” but Erin Sterling did not disappoint!
I love how even though this book was focused on different characters we still got to see the characters from the ex hex.

Gwen and Wells are spectacular together! From the irritation of one another to the chemistry they have for one another and finally stop fighting it. Chefs kiss.

Traveling back to Graves Glen for Gwyn's story in 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 was absolutely worth it! The second book in the series exceeded all of my expectations!! The romance between Wells and Gwyn was hot enough to keep you warm on a cold October night! I enjoyed the snarky banter and spicy tension in this enemies-to-lovers romance. This book had the perfect mix of everything I love - it was full of laughs, magic, friendship, family, a little healthy rivalry, some new witches, and was loaded with witchy small town Halloween goodness!

I highly recommend this one to all the witchy romance lovers out there. This will be the perfect book to start the spooky season. Be ready to grab a copy when it is released on September 20, 2022!

Thank you, Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager, for an eARC exchange for my honest opinion.

I have become quite the fan of Erin Sterling/Rachel Hawkins. She’s an absolute must read for me.
I was so excited to see she had written a second book to this series. Although I was pretty neutral on The Ex Hex, I absolutely LOVED The Kiss Curse.. I devoured it within 24 hours.. I laughed out loud several times which honestly may be my favorite part. The writing is so seamless, captivating, and makes for an easy page turner. Gwyn is stubborn, sassy, full of fire, and absolutely relatable. Wells is the perfect air of miserable to complete the grumpy sunshine trope. I cannot recommend this read enough!

Thank you to Netgalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read the ARC of the Kiss Curse in exchange for an honest review.

✨ Book Review✨

The Kiss Curse
Erin Sterling
Pub Date: September 20, 2022

“Not big gestures. Just you. All of you. The disaster bits and the parts that say words like ‘henceforth.’”

🪄 Blurb:
The follow-up to Erin Sterling’s New York Times bestselling hit The Ex Hex features fan favorite Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow as they battle a new band of witches and their own magical chemistry.

💭 Thoughts:

I loved The Ex Hex and was so excited to read the second book in the series. It did not disappoint. The Kiss Curse can be a stand alone, but don’t miss out on The Ex Hex.

I think I love Gwyn and Wells more than I loved Vivi and Rhys. I didn’t think that would be possible. Wells is so swoony. Where can I sign up for my own sweet, intellectual, dinner making, beard wearing witch?! The enemies to lovers aspect of this book made for some great banter. I’m so glad they got there HEA!

Sir Purrcival is the cutest. Who doesn’t love a treat obsessed, talking cat. Don’t skip over the acknowledgment section for this book, the author includes a meaningful reference to Sir Purrcival!

I enjoyed the baby witches, Sam, Parker, and Cait. I thought it was cute that they called Gwyn, Glinda. Their antics definitely added to the story.

If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted read, I highly recommend grabbing this one! You will fall in love with Gwyn, Wells, and the whole Graves Glen crew of characters all over again!

Thank you @netgalley, @avonbooks, and @erinsterlingbooks for the advanced copy to read and review.

I enjoyed this one much more than I did The Ex Hex! Gwen is such a great MC, she is funny, smart and so loveable. I love that she got her own story! We are back in Graves Glen for this sequel, you have enemies to lovers, a mystery, and some laughs. All around a fun read with all the Halloween vibes and a little spice! Wickedly wonderful! Publishing date is 9.20.22, thanks Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC!