The first book ends with a cliffhanger at the end of the first book and the 2nd book pretty much picks up where the first one left off. While I enjoyed the first book I felt it was kind of all over the place with the story line and it really didn't pique my interest until the last 20%.
The 2nd book I found to be similar and I wanted more story/plot and less spice (even though they were very well written).
I will probably read the 3rd when it comes out and I'd recommend this series to folks who enjoy witch/demon fantasy books with lots of spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Coven was a great book. I really enjoyed that one. The Cursed was a decent read but did not capture my attention.

The narrator an amazing job bringing this story to life. I absolutely loved the story but the voice was just right with story telling.

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰, 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈.”

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘳.

After the cliffhanger from the first book that made me crazy this was amazing, I couldn't put it down. After all of the bad things that Gray did I can't help but love this character, he makes me melt 🫠 lol l I did want to smack willow with a pillow when she hurt him. Oh my goodness and the spice with these two was...chef's kiss 🤌 there was conspiring, magic, character growth it was everything and I did not want to stop reading. It had me biting my nails and swooning. I found that I'm interested in whatever Margot and Beelzebub have going on, I'm hoping to read more with those two.

The Cursed felt like it was 2/3 intense sex scenes and 1/3 story line.

Very few authors can compete with Woods's ability to write vivid sex scenes. If that is what you are looking for (and, as the warning in the beginning makes it clear), you like them to be more rough than romantic, this is your book.

If you are looking for a story line and/or romance, skip this one.

This was a satisfying end to what The Coven started. I enjoyed how the relationship between Gray and Willow continued to develop as well as the intrigue of the coven itself. Willow character development felt a little rushed but not unreasonable.
The narrators were great.

4/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶️
4/5 🎧

The Coven was one of my favorite reads of this year and I was so, so excited to read the finale of this duet. And while I loved so much about this story, the fact that it was advertised as a complete duet when there is clearly so much more story to be told, left me feeling very wanting at the end... That being said, what I did read I truly loved. There was a lot of action, twists, betrayal and spicy goodness that I ate up along the way. And I am so happy we're getting more, starting with Margot and Beelzebub.

I listened via audio and loved the narration, especially Emilia Bauer. I enjoyed Ellis Evans as well, but thought he sounded a bit young for Gray... I expected a much more "mature" sounding voice for our professor.

I love this world more and more every time I delve into it. Harper did such an incredible job imagining up these witches and demons with gods and devils and everything in between, and then bringing them to life. The colors and how they represented the witches connection to their powers was especially so cool, especially as I found them easier to follow this book.

The action was incredible. I especially loved the throne room scene, Willow can be such a bad a when she puts her mind to it. And while I was kinda annoyed with how hard she fought against Gray in the beginning, I really loved her. Gray can do no wrong in my mind I'm pretty sure. That man has me hook, line and sinker until the end of time.

I loved the audiobook of the first and this starts immediately off where the other one ends so If you want to read this one first you can't which makes since because this is the second book in the duology. Willow is coming into her own person not just with her sexually which is really amazing to read about. The beginning throws you for a loop and it's great for the plot twist. The devil is definitely not a former saint or remotely. The love and passion is still amazing and palpable through the words spoken in this audiobook. The ending is my favorite part. Thank you so much to the author (I can't wait to see what you write next!), the publisher, and Netgalley for letting me and review this beauty!

I feel like this book took such a wild turn with the satanic culture. The first one was AMAZING, and I feel kind of let down with this follow up. I still love Grey, but the storyline just didn't feel right to me. But thank goodness for the spice!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to review The Cursed by Harper L. Woods. I am a huge fan, and was so excited to read the follow-up to The Coven. Willow is an absolutely badass main character, and the relationship between her and Gray was so fun to watch evolve. There is so much back-and-forth with future plans and backstabbing - I could not put this book down. Gray is no morally grey character - he is the devil, quite literally... but even the devil derves a HEA, right? Super fun and incredibly sexy.

Absolutely excellent narration.
I loved the epilogue, and would jump at the chance to get to read Margot's story!

We left it on a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the first book and we pick back up pretty much right back where we were. There’s plenty of action, magic, history and murder plots to keep you interested and the story moving along. I liked this book more than the first one and will be on the lookout for #3.

The relationship between Willow and Gray was a lot more enjoyable this book. It made more sense and was more believable (which actually doesn’t make sense if you think about it haha). The spice was hot (thank you chapters 31 & 32) and you were actually hoping for them to work it out and be together.

Thanks to #NetGallery and the publisher. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Format: Audio
POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ /5
Age suggestion: 18+

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook.

Overall this book is much like the first. It's kind of all over the place and inconsistent. If you liked the first one, though, you won't be disappointed. It just felt disorganized to me.

The female narrator is not good. If you are someone who listens to a fair amount of audiobooks, it will drive you crazy. The male narrator is pretty good though.

This follow up to Coven follows Willow as she navigates her relationship with Gray and with the coven. This is a classic villain gets the girl narrative and in some ways actually came off like a Hades/Persephone retelling. In terms of how this book compares to book 1, the spice is A LOT spicier, there's a whole lot more of "touch her and die" and quite a bit of "where is my wife" so the usual romantasy faves are definitely present. There is quite a bit more dubcon as well so if that's a trigger for you, please be aware of it as you're going into this. The mmc is very morally gray to the point of tinted black. He clearly loves Willow but crosses lines often based on what he thinks she wants. I do think that it was very helpful having the book be written in his pov as well as Willow's because his motivations are more readily apparent.

With that said, liked this book and had a good time reading it but I did think that between book 1 and book 2, the plot got a little messy. All through book 1, the story was one of revenge and family secrets. It was primarily about Willow and the things she needed to do. Book 2 takes all that almost entirely out of the equation and throws us into a political/theological war, leaving me a little confused. It felt like the big scale world elements weren't fully fleshed out. What was the basis of the conflict between God and Lucifer? What are God's motivations for rejecting the source? Who is the triple goddess and how does she fit into a monotheistic religion? Michael comes seemingly out of no where at the end. I would've liked couple hundred more pages to develop the fantasy elements more thoroughly. I am aware that even though this duology is over, there will be more books in this world focusing on Margot and Beelzebub so I'm hoping we get a little more world building there.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ALC!

I was excited to dive into this sequel to The Coven! I enjoyed the world that was created here and the politics of the witches. The way the second book ended, I was eager to get to book two!

It was fun to return to this world and to see what was going to come of Willow and Gray. While I enjoyed being back with these characters, I didn’t love book two as much as I loved the first book. I’m glad I finished this duet but overall am let down with this second installment.

The narrators were not my favorite, the acting seemed like they were trying to hard and didn’t seem natural. I liked the male narrator more but still felt meh over him. The female narrator doing the male voices was a struggle to get through.

"The Cursed" by Harper L. Woods is the second book in the Coven of Bones series, narrated by Ellis Evans and Emilia Bauer. The story delves into themes of betrayal, deception, and the intricate connections between the characters.

The protagonist, after a lifetime of manipulation, discovers the depth of betrayal she has experienced. Despite the undeniable connection with Gray, who was the source of the deception, the protagonist finds herself in a complex situation. The Covenant is gone, shifting her priorities away from revenge to a more nuanced understanding of the conflict.

The remaining witches, who have suffered due to the protagonist's actions, present a formidable challenge. As the protagonist grapples with her role in the demise of the Coven and the subjugation of its members, she realizes the complexity of the situation. The story weaves together elements of romance, fantasy, and revenge as the protagonist navigates her duties and the consequences of her past actions.

The narrative promises a compelling exploration of destiny, responsibility, and the cost of protecting those she cares about. With themes of redemption and the weight of history, "The Cursed" adds depth to the ongoing saga of the Coven of Bones series.

If you're looking for a darker read for the season, look no further than The Coven and The Cursed by Harper L Woods. This is book 2 and it's deliciously full of vampires, witches and things that make you bite your lip.

This story has
☆Witches and Vampires
☆Enemies to lovers
☆Teacher/ student
☆Darker elements
☆rituals

Check trigger warnings! There are some this duology.

Overall 4/ 5
Spice 4/ 5

Another fantastic book to this amazing series.

I have been a fan of Harper L. Woods since I discovered it's another pen name for Adelaide Forrest- If Mafia is your thing then go hunt that out too!

This series had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the magic system and the tension between the two main characters is perfect. This Author also writes some of the best spicy scenes imo.

What I really loved is I didn't see every plot twist coming. I was often surprised, which after reading many fantasy books I can tell you is not a common occurrence anymore.
The main female character was still strong willed and independent like every female lead written by Harper.
The morally grey male character was the perfect mix of bad guy + Touch her and you die vibes.

The storyline for this book in particular was slower than the previous book but was still packed with plot. I feel we saw some real character growth and got rid of some loose ends (both plot wise and character - if you know, you know).

My only negative was the female narration, her side character voices were hysterical. They made me want to put the series down so many times. It is doable to listen to it, it's just not enjoyable.

I was gifted this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you NetGalley, Harper L. Woods, and Dreamscape Media. I purchased the first book in this series.

These covers are just so darn stunning. Unfortunately, for me, the story isn’t my fav or even near fav. I liked The Coven decent enough although I had some issues with the plot. But I was hopeful the series would kick it up in book 2 and I’d be sucked in. But, I was left wanting more with this book 2. I was honestly confused when the book didn’t end after one of the biggest plot twists and then was again surprised it ended when it did because it just felt lackluster. I like the world and the different magical beings and I would honestly love more of that and less of the other stuff to really build up this series. And listen, I love smut and steam, I really do. This book nearly crossed a line for me in the first 20% and then again a bit later. It left me a little uncomfortable and tbh had this not been an audiobook I think I wouldn’t have continued on. The way he handles a couple of the sexual encounters was very iffy for me, even though I knew it was a dark romance. Some things I did enjoy was the dual POV and the inclusion of more characters in the story as well as the ole enemies to lovers spin. I’m undecided on if I’ll continue the series.

As for the narration, I liked each narrator for their own character but when the female narrator spoke for Gray I nearly wanted to stop listening, it drove me bonkers and took me out of the story a bit. It doesn’t reflect my rating of the actual story but wanted to make note.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early access!

This book just wasn't for me. There was a lot of back and forth with Willow's feelings.
I really like the dual narrators though the female's male voice was off for me- another review described it as cartoony and that is spot on.
I usually love books with witches and covens and enjoyed the first even if I ended up confused... I just couldn't get into this book.

That being said, I would be up to reading more of Woods work in the future. And I'll definitely be looking up more work of the narrators.

Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Media for an audio coot.

I thought the narrators were good. The audio book itself kept me intrigued. Although the story was a little lackluster I pushed through. I think we need more plot. The Coven was so good a nice balance of spice and plot. The story just fell completely flat.

While it was entertaining enough, I feel like this book falls a little flat and the ending a little lack luster. I do enjoy this series a lot more than authors previous.

Willow is riddled in angst and the reason for her back and forth with her feelings for Grey is pretty flimsy, just leaves the reader (me) annoyed.

I enjoyed the dual narration, both voices pleasant. The only little gripe would be the female narrators male voice, it was a little cartoony.