Masquerade of the Heart was a fantastic finale to a jaw dropping duology full of secrets, dark curses, and very, very messy family dynamics (we know Katy Rose Pool loves writing those haha). It was everything I wanted it to be and it brought Marlow's, Adrius's, Swift's and Silvan's story to a great ending.

While Garden of the Cursed was a bit heavier on the magic and secrets itself, in Masquerade we delved deeper into relationships - be it the romantic ones or the familial ones, and I thoroughly enjoyed that! Also give me all and any Swift and Silvan content and I will be so happy hehe.

Masquerade of the Heart was another KRP win and I can't wait to see what she writes next! Here's to all the epic queernormative worlds Katy comes up with!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

This sequel did not disappoint! I greatly enjoyed jumping back into Marlow’s life and seeing what trouble she would find. And she sure did find the trouble!

It was so fun to jump back into spells and the five family drama. Especially with how book 1 ended, I couldn’t wait to see how Marlow snuck her way out of trouble. The one thing I really enjoyed about this book is that Marlow didn’t sacrifice herself to make other people happy. She chose the hard choices even if it was going to be a tough path.

Adrius surprised me quite a bit in this book! I enjoyed the stolen moments with Marlow and how they worked together. I also enjoyed the dynamic between him and his sister. It truly felt like true siblings with the back and forth.

Silvan and Swift were a fun addition to read about! I had loved Swift from book 1 and it was nice to see him shine in book 2.

Overall this book did not disappoint! Marlow continued to tangle everything up and the team worked together to fix it. I will miss reading about all the characters as they were so diverse and fun!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for an eARC of Masquerade of the Heart!

Wow what an incredible end to this duology. I really enjoyed reading every second of this book. I finished it in one evening because it was just so impossible to put down.

Masquerade of the Heart picks up right where Garden of the Cursed finished.
It was action packed, with good pacing, and I couldn't put it down.

I love that this is a duology, because you don't have that middle book syndrome.
If you enjoyed Garden of the Cursed, you have to pick up Masquerade of the Heart to finish getting all of the answers. The ending made my heart happy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan publishers for an early copy for review.

This was a good continuation of the first book. I liked how the two books flowed together. I wish the Epilogue was a little longer or we could get to see more of life after everything for Adrius and Marlow. I like how the book was structured and how Katy tied everything together.

MASQUERADE OF THE HEART by Katy Rose Pool is a fantastic ending to a duology that melts your heart. Once you get past the self-sacrifice for your love trope, the rest of the story is exciting and full of surprises. Ms. Pool’s resolution to the many problems Marlow faces may be a little too clean, but it still satisfies as it also shows that you can’t win them all. I particularly love how Marlow truly acts her age. She is very much still a teenager making rash decisions and creating many avoidable mistakes. However, she shows her growing maturity in taking ownership of those mistakes and seeking to rectify them. At the end of the day, however, my heart belongs to Adrius, who once again is as golden, as melancholic, and as hopelessly in love as he was in the first book. MASQUERADE OF THE HEART ends Ms. Pool’s second series, and with it she becomes a must-read author for me. Her ability to create fantasy that is somehow realistic in feel despite any magic is excellent. I can’t wait to see what she has for us next!

So much of what I enjoyed about the first book of the duology evaporated in the second book. There was no longer any mystery, the angst just didn't deliver in the same way despite such a twisted ending to the first book. We know who the bad guy is and the entire book is just the characters biding their time gathering items to try to prevent the bad guy from carrying out his plan. Very underwhelming. And it seems like so much was tossed in here that didn't need to be there, but meanwhile other issues were unresolved. Normally I would have DNF'd but I felt obligated since I got an ARC from Netgalley and I read and reviewed the first.

Cards. Curses. Spells. Secrets. Found Family.


We meet Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs once again in this second book of the duology. We meet the deadly Evergarden Society once again, following the aftermath of her fake romance. Adrius is seeking a wife and our curse breaker is still intent on breaking his curse.

This book explores Marlow's relationship to her father, and secrets and lies are outed. Enemies are turned ally and vice versa. Drama, chaos ensues. The society is upended.

I absolutely loved the first book in this enchanting duology. It was fast-past, alluring, thrilling, and such an exciting ride. The romance was breath-taking and even more chemically charged, relations were explored far better in this book.

That being said, I would loved to have had a third installment to explore some missed opportunities. Everything was tied in a nice conclusion, but there could have been more with the characters and the drama and the magic.

I wanted more time with the characters we've met in this fantastical world. I found it unique and intriguing. If there were a spinoff of some sort, I would pick that series up without hesitation! Marlow and her friends deserve more adventures! 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

Marlow Briggs returns in this non-stop, high drama sequel to Garden of the Cursed. I loved being back with these characters and am even more obsessed with the World and magic system than in the first book. Katy Rose Pool is an auto buy author for me, and each new book just proves why!

Thank you tot he publisher for providing a copy to review.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader copy (arc) in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ 2.5 stars
Finally, I've been able to read the sequel earlier, and my reaction after finishing it is that the story is just so mediocre and a bit of a mess. First of all, about the plot, I've been anticipating a lot of action and high-stakes problems, but everything the characters did felt like they were just circling around and taking too long to finish a problem that they could have resolved earlier. The lack of depth in some parts of the story also bothers me, as the author introduces elements without explaining them, leaving me feeling like the story is going nowhere. I see how the author tries to connect every piece of the plot, but it feels off because so much is missing. There is also romance, a lot of it, which I found adorable at times, especially the dynamics between Marlow and Adrius. However, the issue is that during moments where they should be focused on the problem, the author chooses to insert unnecessary romantic scenes, which I found distracting and kind of ruining the seriousness of the moment. I don't hate their romance, but I do feel like it shouldn't have been poured into the story so much, as it ended up making it feel more "cheesy-cringe".

The characters themselves don't really make me hate them, but maybe just some of them that I find annoying and far too innocent for someone who has great power and knows quite a lot of secrets. Sometimes, in some characters, I get how they try to justify what they did, but it's kind of bothering me that after any troubles, they just get away without remorse. It feels like they're allowed to do that when all of them were a bigger falsehood.

From all of that, I gather that this book isn't quite close to an okay book. Yes, I enjoyed the romance and surprisingly wasn't bored while reading, but the numerous issues made me less entertained. Not to mention, it spends too long on pages, even though the pacing is fast, I felt it was too slow to read. I just hope others who read this sequel will like the book and feel satisfied with how it ends.

After finishing Garden of the Cursed, I was desperate to get my hands on this sequel! I finished this book in one sitting. The pacing was off to the races from the very beginning. I will say that I missed the atmosphere from the first novel, which was a much slower burn. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoyed the fast paced action of this book, but it just felt like there was something missing. It might mainly be that a lot going on, so there was less focus of the relationships. The magic system in this universe is one of my favorites and I only wish we could get more content. I felt as if this duology ended well so as most of the loose ends were tied up. It left just enough to keep you guessing if the author would write more in this universe in the future. If so, I am absolutely in! This was a satisfying sequel, even if I wasn't as enamored with it as I was the first novel. I truly enjoyed this duology.

This fantastic duology needs more hype. I loved every second of reading these books and this will forever be one of my favorite series.
The sequel relies more on plot whereas the first book heavily centered around the fake dating relationship between the main characters. Considering the relationship is almost fully developed by the end of book 1, I understand why and didn’t mind the romance on the back burner because when we do see them together it’s so much more impactful. The masquerade ball was EVERYTHING. With the addition of Adrius’s POV, we got to see him pining just as much as Marlow is for him which was a delight to read. I also feel the need to mention a side couple that gets together in this book because they are so cute but I won’t spoil who it is for anyone who hasn’t suspected them from the first book.
I appreciate that this duology wraps up nicely with no questions left unanswered while still having so many new mysteries introduced in the sequel to keep you interested. This ending to such a phenomenal duology is everything I wanted and more. My heart is so full.

My review for Book 1:
Garden of the Cursed is one of my favorite books of all time. This book honestly felt like it was written specifically for me. It gave me the same magical feeling of reading Stephanie Garber’s writing and I loved it from the very first page. The romance and banter and tension are so incredible but the plot absolutely holds its own. Garden of the Cursed has spell card magic, curse-breakers and a curse-detecting cat, mystery plots that force enemies to work together to solve them, ballet performances, a completely unique world with magic and enchantments woven in every corner, a friends-to-enemies-to-fake-dating-to-more relationship, and so many secrets and plot twists your head will be spinning by the end.

Interesting magic system, a city that comes alive on the page, and a cast of characters that is easy to fall in love with.

I devoured book 1, [book:Garden of the Cursed|61317668] and this deeply satisfying conclusion to the duology is no different from Garden's fast-paced, thrilling, and eventful plot and this time, the romance is amped up and the stakes are even higher. My only complaint is I wish that it was longer and that I get to spend more time with these characters! Not likely, but I am hoping to see Marlow and her friends in maybe extensions of the series?

I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced mystery suspense YA romance!

Themes: curses, spells, breaking curses, truths, secrets, found family, true friends, protecting loved ones, risks, power, grief

Dropping this down by one star shouldn't really merit a disclaimer, but I need the people to know that I love this duology with all my heart so please read it and don't let this deter you in any way.

That being said I have to be fully honest that there's a plot twist/reveal in the 3rd act of this book that was such a fumble that I couldn't in good faith keep it at the full five stars. I adore all the characters in this duology, especially Marlow, and I think the balance of world building with both romance and plot is extremely well done. It's one of the best and most enjoyable YA fantasies I've read in a long time and I doubt anyone will regret giving it a try, but I did want to be fully honest in wishing that this one plot point had been more thought out. It was so out of left field and just lazy, which is so uncharacteristic of every other piece of this series.

Marlow is such a refreshing female lead in how she gives equal weight to her friendships and relationships, while balancing moral dilemmas beyond her years in a way that doesn't feel uncharacteristic to a teenager. She has real flaws and makes real mistakes, but you respect her for the moral code that she does her best to stick to. I will be recommending this series until the end of time, and I was unbelievably grateful to have had this book be my first ARC! I can't wait to buy my own physical copy when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love this book as much as I love the first one. The characters, the storytelling, the magical world, it was all amazing!

This book just made me love Marlow even more. She is a strong female character that sticks to her belief, not letting anything get in her way, but also, not letting her mess spill out onto other people's lives and ruin them. I also love how her love for Adrius does not overtake her whole personality. She does not depend on him for everything and doesn't yearn for his love every single paragraph. She does love him, but it doesn't define her as a character, especially towards the end. She's unpredictable at times. With the situations she gets into, I always curious to see how she will escape them. Talking about unpredictability, the whirlwind of events that happen throughout this book was unpredictable. Every single chapter has a purpose and once Marlow gets out of one event, another one pops right up. It always keeps me on my toes and it's always so exciting to see where it would lead next. There's no idea on what side quest Marlow has to take upon next. I don't mind the main situation divulging. It always keeps things interesting and the beautiful writing that goes alongside that makes it works so well.

After the ending of the first book and finding out who the culprit was behind Adrius's curse, I couldn't come to hate him. He's just so kind and so protective of Marlow. I wanted so badly for him to prove to me that he isn't truly a villain. And he's technically not. He wants to make this world a better place than the Five Families has it at, but no one can truly have that much power and NOT do anything wrong. At every corner he shows how much he cares for this world and his family and it pained me to know he was trying to grab for power. I want the same world that he wanted, but the way he was doing it, wasn't the best of ways.

Now, the relationship between Adrius and Marlow isn't as prominent as the first book because she's not really trying to break his curse anymore, but it's still there. I didn't mind it being in the background of this book. After all, the first book already focused a lot on their relationship and you already have a sense of how they feel for one another. I still love them together and I also love the new relationship blossoming with Swift. I immediately knew who he was with after the incident with the Copperheads in the last book. That relationship is absolutely cute.

Overall, this book was amazing. The plot was captivating and there's always something new popping up around the corner. I just couldn't put it down. The characters we have alongside Marlow, there is depth to them and they're not just a side character that has nothing to do with the plot. Each character prove to have some purpose and it isn't just to make it seem like they're just there for the fun of it. I love the relationship Marlow has with them and it shows more of who Marlow truly is. The author does such a great job of making me feel connected to each one of these characters and making me care them so much. I still love Swift as always <3

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for letting me read a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

4.5/5

Full circle ending. Fully enjoyed the mystery and the chaos of the book. All characters are well written and when you are fully annoyed at a character dialogue because she is so well made it's a nightmare and enjoyment at the same time. It does bounce around more than the first book and there is a lot more things going on with Marlow. I loved the world this book is set in and the side characters are amazing. Would 100% recommend this duology and it's a fun fantasy mystery with side of romance.

I really enjoyed the first book so I went into this one thinking that as long as it was on par with that, I would enjoy it. It definitely was and more. I had a lot of fun reading this one. The plot kept me engaged, and the romance was fun. Dare I say I enjoyed the plot and the writing enough that if the romance had taken a backseat this still would have been a fun ride for me?

Onto the character! Marlow was as angsty and complex as ever and I really enjoy her as a POV character. Dare I say we got to see a lot more from the side characters in this installment? I wish we had gotten some more time with Gemma, but what we had was lovely. Swift was fun as always, and (no spoilers here) but his side plot was so fun. I had thought something was going on in the first book, but the confirmation + the reactions to it were so funny. I did like the occasional chapters from Adrius’ perspective, it was a change of pace from Marlow that was fun. Vale was a really complicated character for me in terms of how I resonated with them. I think there’s a saying that’s super applicable to him. “The road to hell is paved with good intention” pretty much sums up how I think about him. I did find it interesting to read how his genuine care for Marlow was starting to break down her walls and make her question whether stopping him was correct. Though, the lengths he’d go to succeed in bringing about change and protecting Marlow was scary and eye opening.

Let’s talk about the ✨ plot ✨ Now the plot was absolutely the best part of the book for me. There was so many jaw dropping “wtf” moments for me as I reason this. I did have a slight issue with how the main issue of last book (Adrius’ compulsion curse) was solved, but to be fair we had already discovered who had cast it which was mostly the point of the first book, so I won’t knock it too much. There’s only so much space in the book, and I’ll admit I probably would have been annoyed if too much time was spent resolving something from the first book instead of focusing on new problems. I honestly thought the goal change of a mystery to collecting items for a big fantasy quest was fun, and it’s a familiar type of plot that I enjoy. There was plenty of action interspersed with character moments and that was very appreciated from me.

Overall, this book was an absolutely knockout for me. It surpassed my expectations from the first book, and I read it all in one sitting. I had such a blast reading it, and I enjoyed how everything was wrapped up. I can’t wait to see future works from this author because she’s definitely going on my auto buy list after my experience reading this duology.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC. 5/5 stars.

This is the sequel to Garden of the Cursed and picks up where that book left off, with Marlow being blamed for Adrius's fathers death.
The first book felt smooth, with a slow build up that was tantalizing, and the mystery of the curse building through the story. The second book however, took many of those plot threads and tied them a bit anticlimactically. With the major plot point of the first book being resolved haphazardly, and then a new plot point added it just seemed a bit jumbled and hard to get into. The writing was geared towards a teen audience which I do think they would enjoy, but it didnt resonate with me as I like to have more of the inner thoughts of the main character present in the conflict, rather then feeling like they are just being thrown around in the story.
Overall, it was a good read. I did enjoy it, and I would be interested in reading from this author again, even though this book didnt top my lists of favorites.

First, a quick thank you to the publishers and netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved getting to see the world of Caraza City in this conclusion to the story that was begun in Garden of the Cursed. Swift was still my favorite character, and I think several of the other side characters could have had more development. That being said, having an additional POV in this book really helped add depth to characters! All in all a good conclusion to this duology!