The first book, The Coven, was super fun and atmospheric read. This book was not that. I felt like the fun was gone, as well as the plot, and we just had a series of scenes that didn't help move the story forward. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my time with this book.

Everything Harper L. Woods does, I am in love with. This, unfortunately, was not the sequel I was hoping for. I think part of my let down was the first book did such a great job balancing spice and plot, where this one was mainly spice with minimal plot. Don't get me wrong, the spice was AMAZING, but I was definitely expecting that more even balance again, which was not the case here. The characters were less complex and the ending was a little rushed. Willow definitely carried the plot as she learned her abilities and grew as a character. This was fine and I'm glad I read it, but it is hard to not be bummed when comparing it to the first book.

This book was a highly anticipated read after absolutely loving the first!

Sadly this one didn’t capture me as well as the first and I do feel like the core story did shift in a direction I didn’t enjoy.

The enemies to lovers romance still delivered on the tention and angst we love but overall not a favourite fantasy.

This book lacked what the first book excelled in… the entertainment factor. Neither of these books are fabulously written, but I hold the first book close to my heart and adore it because it was so entertaining, keeping me at the edge of my seat the entire book. This book however… didn't

Not as good as the first book I lost interest at parts but definitely a good story and a would recommend for others

Wow, what a follow up. This picks up right where The Coven ended (only seconds have gone by). And it picks up right where the action (and spice) left off. This is a very dark fantasy romance. The characters are the kind that you love to hate, especially the MMC. He is the villain, a true villain. The FMC deals with the internal turmoil of loving the villain in this book. Her internal struggle is one of the main conflicts in this one. There was less plot and world building in this book (it mainly focuses on the two main characters with very little happening external to their relationship). The spice is great for those who like dark romance.

This is dual POV with two narrators. I thought they complimented each other nicely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing an eARC of this audiobook.

I was really looking forward to the second book in this series. There was this building fire that left me hanging by the precipice in the last book. Damn I hate cliffhangers!

Yeah, so I really looking forward to knowing where the story was going. Now image me hanging there desperately waiting to see what happens on the next page and as I read I come to realize . . . Woh, wuh - the ground that I once hanging precariously over is right there. There was no cliffhanger. Boo, the character I love in the last book somehow has become a whiny hater who won't stop dividing her complaints between hating and wanting to "run".

I spent 50% of the book wanting to throw it out the window, crying soundlessly how unfair it was that I was feeling so cheated. Thankfully things picked up and started going somewhere, but honestly I don't know if I feel happy with how it went or cheated.

I did enjoy the narrator as it brought the story to life. Overall, this book probably could have been one longer book, but what do I know.

** Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion * *

Ugh, save me but what happened

Thank you Harper L. Woods, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I listened to this audiobook in a day, I could not put it down! I love both Willow and Gray so much. Gray may be the villain, but it’s honestly refreshing to see the villain in love and willing to do everything for their partner. Willows internal struggle with her feelings for Gray and her need to fulfill what she deems is her purpose really pushes the story along. The Cursed had a faster pace compared to The Coven. It also did a lot of set up for the next book. I can’t wait to see what happens next, especially after that cliffhanger!

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

• Dark Fantasy romance
• Necromancy, Plant magic, elemental magic, Visions
• Witches, Demons, Angels
• Dual POV, Dual audiobook Narrators
• Fate
• Villainous love interest

Look up Trigger warnings

"The Cursed" by Harper L. Woods, talk about a rollercoaster! Dark fantasy romance? Check. Dual POVs? Double check. Witches, demons, angels? Triple check and then some! This book is like a supernatural showdown, and I'm here for it.

"The Cursed" is Book 2 in the Coven of Bones series, and lemme tell you, the wait for the next one is gonna be tough. I'm sitting here, twiddling my thumbs, itching for more of this world.


Okay, let's dish. The romance? It was a wild ride, and even though the darkness pushed my boundaries a bit, I couldn't hit pause. If you're looking to move to a darker side of romance with a dash of magical mayhem, this series is your golden ticket.
Be warned, check the trigger warnings before diving into this book. It has some dark themes and a bit of rougher romance, this book will not be for everyone.

You gotta love an audiobook with dual narrators. There are very few audiobooks that I don't like but I'm happy to say this one was great!

And that magic system! I love, love all the magic in this world and what is even better is all my favorites are in one place. I would not have thought I would like the combination of Witches, demons and angels but man does it work for me in this series.


Wow! What another wild ride. The romance is a little darker than my preferred taste, but I still was hanging on to every word to see what would happen next. Now I’m sitting here waiting for the next book. I love, love the magic in this world. I feel like this series could be a good middle ground for if you're looking to make your way to the darker side of romance.

While I enjoyed the first book, I really struggled through this one. I found the plot to be too slow-paced and the characters frustrating. At this point, I am not sure if Harper L Woods is an author for me, but I may give her books another try in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. Just wasn’t my personal cup of tea however, narration was great.

I'm not a huge fan of the female narrator. Almost no inflection during her parts. The male narrator was pretty great! The story itself needs some work. It was like the plot was thrown out the window and everything was on fast forward.

This was a good book. The audiobook did a great job of keeping me captivated. I have a hard time with audiobooks as they seem to slow for me and I did not have that issue with the one. The narrator reads at an amazing speed! Highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yes please!
I love Ellis & Emilia narrating this series. They have dine such a good job both times. The Coven was great and so was The Cursed.

I was gifted book 1 as a novel, then ARC Listened both audiobooks.

I will forever be an auto-read fan of Harper L Woods 🥰❤️

Did not get to this print to publication and in story i didn't because i loved this! Absolutely will be listening to this again

Book: The Cursed by Harper L Woods
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrators: Ellis Evans; Emilia Bauer
Publication Date: 12/12/2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I really felt that this book was narrated well. Ellis as Gray was fantastic. I loved how pragmatic he sounded. Gray is adjusting to his feelings for Willow in a way he hadn't had the capacity to in his vessel. The tone and inflection felt very on par. Emilia as Willow was good, I think majority of my issues with Willow being indecisive was due to the writing versus the narrating.

The spicy scenes were great. I would have loved to see both book one and book two really fleshed out. If these books were less rushed and had more world building and character development these would have the major potential to be standout books. These books feel rushed and don't take the time to build the connection with the characters. There were some really cool elements in this story like the melding of the thrones and the mutual respect Willow has for the "Balance". I also loved how Gray uses the terms "Witch" and "Witchling" the endearments really were top notch. I also loved the introduction of The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone.

I am a Gray stan so I will continue to read the spin offs. Looks like there will be continuing stories for Beelzebub. I hope these follow up books in this series will be more fleshed out and have more character dynamic and flow.

This book has stayed on my mind since reading which speaks to some of the elements that were done well with the spice and general plot of the series.

The audiobook was well made, the actors did a great job. It's the story that lacked the world building. The events are supposed to happen at the school for witches, but no classes or learning is actually shown on page. Moreover, in the beginning of the book the school appears to be overrun by Lucifer and his demons, which doesn't seem to cause much of a problem, i.e., Lucifer continues to teach classes, behind the scenes. Everything happening at the school is told to the reader in a couple of sentences, a report from on of the characters.
The whole plot is very isolated to the two main characters. We spend the first 25% of the book practically locked in Lucifer's room, where the main characters keep rehashing their relationship conflict. And for the first 50% the inner monologue of the FMC was repetitive.
There was some character development from Lucifer, which I hoped for. He was way less creepy in his demon form than his vessel self had been.
I truly enjoyed the hints of the romantic relationships between the side characters - witches and demons and vessels. The next book will be about one of the side characters, and I think I will enjoy it much more -- the premise is already intriguing.
Despite all that the story is lacking, the writing was very descriptive. It was easy to imagine the events and settings. I enjoyed listening to the story when it wasn't inner monologue.

I’m so happy I was selected for this audiobook, because it was better than the first.

I felt like I was able to connect more with the characters this time around, as that’s something I really struggled with in The Coven. The narrators helped with that. I still feel like we’re barely scraping the surface with the characters and their relationships though, and while I wanted more at times, I still enjoyed this book. Looking forward to what comes from the next book! Just hoping it’s a bit longer with a bit more explanation and world building. I would be happy to read a longer book to have more explanation.

I am indecisive on this book. I liked it. But I also didn't like it.
The plot was all over the place... it kind of seemed so random and thrown together.
Grey is still my favorite character of the whole duet. Spice was good.
I can't wait to see where the next series goes though. That plot seemed pretty interesting.
4 stars because I love the author.

Book two of the Coven of Bones series was a huge hit for me!

I really enjoyed book one, but The Cursed really brought this series home for me. I think it's probably because The Cursed gives us a heavier focus on the relationship between Gray and Willow. Their relationship breaks down and rebuilds while Willow has some serious dilemmas to work through. What will be her motivation in how she leads the coven moving forward? How will she get them all to trust her? And does she continue on her quest against the vessels and devil given where her heart belongs?

I loved this book because there is a lot revealed and plenty to look forward to in future books. We get so much character development, while still progressing in the plot and world building. The spice is great and I can't wait for more from this world.

Harper L Woods has truly created a unique world and magic system based on the bones of traditional magic systems which is really fun to learn about.

The narration for the audiobook by Ellis Evans and Emilia Bauer is fantastic. Emilia has this sort of whimsical, floaty tone to it that is very suited for a witch in a fantasy/paranormal romance. Ellis has a deep yet seductive tone to his voice that is SO fitting for voicing the devil. *smirks* The pacing was great, even for someone who listens to audiobooks at 1.75x speed.

Overall, I really liked this book and look forward to more from HLW and this world in the future!