The Cursed picks up where The Coven left off, and presents new challenges for Willow and Gray. Namely, since Willow is grappling with feelings of betrayal and all she learned at the end of The Coven, she’s conflicted. This is a very challenging line for an author to walk. On one hand, Willow wants to lash out and is trying to curb her desires and emotions around Gray. On the other, there really isn’t as much substance to her issues as she’d like us to think. She presumes he’ll be after global conquest and do terrible things, but there’s no evidence of that. Gray spends his time focused on her well-being and teaching his classes, as well as managing any drama that arises.

The Coven benefits from having a clear end goal for Willow, which gives us an objective and some sense of where the story is going. Things are much murkier in The Cursed, which does make the first part a bit frustrating. While in reality, most people grapple with big decisions and may feel conflicted over perceived betrayal in a relationship and go back and forth, trying to decide what to do next, it’s hard for that to play out convincingly on the pages, and risks making Willow seem wishy washy when she tries to escape or plots to kill Gray, but then proceeds to have mind-blowing sex with him.

I also feel Willow’s character arc was a little undercooked. Willow was sharp and savvy enough to pursue her father’s plan in book 1 while trying to figure out her environment, a series of murders, and the people surrounding her. Much of the betrayal at the end of book 1 came from her father, and I would have expected her to have her guard up with everyone. Instead, she naively trusts people, even when they’d shown they had plans that weren’t in her best interests. While this serves the plot, it’s a bit jarring because it makes Willow seem a lot weaker than in book 1. When combined with the lack of clear objective for resolution in this story, it lacks some of the intensity of book 1.

Sophomore books are often challenging. Despite these niggles, there are still many things to like in this story, and it did hold my interest. Since it was hard to see where it was headed, it definitely had a surprise ending, so it didn’t feel predictable. I’m giving it a 3.65 because I’m willing to round it up to a 4 on the major sites, and I do feel the author has a lot of potential. Additionally, I read this before Bramble released it, and cannot speak to any changes made in the final edition of the book.

The ending of a duology, filled with romance, a strange cliffhanger ending, and a toxic relationship. I will be the first one to say, I do enjoy this series but was expecting the ending to be better wrapped up. I thought that since this was a duet, it would wrap everything up by the end, it doesn't. I wanted more from the relationship between Gray and Willow (I loved the first book) and their relationship doesn't really have a good balance in this one. Yeah, I'll be reading more from this author, but I was hoping for this series to end wrapping everything up nicely and not on a cliffhanger.

After powering through the first book i was hoping that i would enjoy the follow up a bit more since it felt like the characters were developing in a way that gave me hope. however, it just fell flat, the ending felt rushed and i just wanted more

This one just did not do it for me like the first book did. The plot was thrown out the window in favor of spice. The little bit of plot that was there was great, but there was not enough of it. The characters felt a lot more one dimensional in this one versus how they were in The Coven.

Three and a half stars

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I feel like the ending of this was rushed and I found myself wanting more. I wish this would have focused more on plot and less on the spice. I had very high hopes after reading book one. But overall this one fell kind of flat for me unfortunately.

This was a great sequel to the series! What I liked is that this book picks up right where the other one left off. It’s been awhile since a series has captivated me this much! I really loved Willow and Grays romance, and although I am sad that they won’t be the main couple in the next book, I am still excited for the next book in the series. There were some parts of the plot that were slow, but this book kept me captivated till the end. My only complaint is that this book could have had some more world building in it. But overall, I really enjoyed this!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

Yes, yes, yes!! After the plot twist in book 1, we jump right back into the story, and this one is SPICY. Check your trigger warnings before you read. This does have a lot of religious references, so also be mindful if that's not your thing. But I just love a man who will BURN the world down for his woman and stands beside her as his equal. The plot was easy to understand. It has elemental magic, creatures, demons, and witches.

The only thing that would make it a 5 star read was that I wish there was a bit more to the plot-there was such a potential for the story outside of just the romance.


If you're a fan of Gothikana and Kingdom of the Wicked, I definitely think you'll love this duet!

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

As readers will see if they check out my review of “The Coven,” I had a fairly middling reading experience with the first book in this duology. However, as they were being published back to back, essentially, I had placed a review request for both books initially. So, unless I had DNF’d the first book, I was fairly committed to reading and reviewing the second. Alas, here is a case where this commitment sadly lead me astray and into an even more frustrating reading experience.

I’ll begin this review by admitting that this book started off on the wrong foot for me. I, personally, struggle with a few different romance tropes. One of them is the “miscommunication/misunderstanding” trope, and the other is the “betrayal” trope. The latter is particularly egregious when the “betrayal” in question is so obviously not what it seems and then the reader is forced to deal with a lead character who seems to twist their brain in two simply to maintain the righteous indignation of how terrible the betrayal was in the first place. And while the actual betrayal in this book had more substance than other examples that come to mind, it was still a frustrating read. Made all the more so since we spent more time in Gray’s head in this book, so the reader had insights into his feelings and motives that Willow then didn’t have. Making the switch back to her own POV frustrating at times, when she was behind on things the reader already knew.

The plot of this one was also severely lacking. In that if I sat down right now and tried to actually put the events of this book down on a plotting structure, I couldn’t. The first half to three quarters of the story is severely lacking in any plot whatsoever (which is a surprise given some of the massive reveals that came in the first book), and then the final quarter is jammed pack with action. But it was action that was completely disconnected from character motivation or arc. Willow spends the majority of the book hating Gray but then seems to do a complete 180 on him towards the end, for very little real reason.

I also struggled with the romance itself. This book leans in hard to the concept of the “body betraying you” idea. In that many of the romance scenes between Willow and Gray are a bit fraught with mixed messages on her part. Now, I give a lot of leeway to romance books on this front, as this sort of romantic tension is standard for the genre and, frankly, often quite enjoyable to read. But it didn’t work as well here simply because Willow’s stated feelings towards Gray were so extreme. Usually you have the sort of tension when characters are “enemies” in the sense that they profess to just not like one another (or are annoyed/competitive with/etc.). But it works less well when one of the characters is literally saying she wants to kill the other. It’s the kind of extreme contrast that undercuts both sides. On one hand, she’s clearly into him so saying she wants to “kill him” reads as ridiculously out of touch with herself. And on the other hand, if she does want to actually kill him, it makes no sense whatsoever for her to be getting into these romantically physical situations with him.

I really struggled with this book. The first book was notably weak on world-building and had some plotting struggles, and this one doubled down on both of these areas. Both the characters and what should have been exciting plot stakes seemed to drown beneath a frustrating amount of romantic angst and tension. For those who really loved the first book, this may still be a satisfying read. But if you struggled with the first, I think this one will be an even greater let-down, unfortunately.

Rating 6: A severe lack of world-building and plotting leaves this one to wallow in rather shallow characters and a frustrating romance.

Review will go live on The Library Ladies blog on Sept. 4

This one was so, so good! As Willow struggles with the battles within herself, Gray has returned to his real form as Lucifer. As she fights for independence and control of her magic, she learns uncomfortable truths about both her past and her future.

Watching her finally accept and decide to love Gray despite and because of everything he does for her was such a great process. She fought so hard and she loves even harder. Trying to figure out who to trust and being betrayed repeatedly while being told that they have her best interests in mind was so brutal.

Watching Gray realize that he doesn't want to continue on without her after being alive for centuries, and having the ability to go on for centuries more was such a powerful thing. I loved the two of them together. They were angry, hot, and far better suited to one another than they ever thought.

And can I get a book 3?!

I’ve become completely captivated by this series. Harper L. Woods writing is addicting and her storytelling is mind blowing.

Willow and Gray are one of my favorite couples. Reading through the betrayal, the secrets, their growing love, it was such an emotional ride. I seriously can’t describe how sad I am that they won’t be the main couple for the next book, but I am so excited for what is next!

3.5 rounded down. A rare case where I liked the sequel better! When everything was said and done my reading experience was more positive than negative. I’ll count that as a win! I loved seeing Willow grow with her power, especially in the last third of the book. I enjoyed the character development* that Gray goes through. It made him more agreeable*. Overall, the vibes make this a quick and easy read.

Okay a couple of issues I had; I can’t not talk about it:
The introduction of Michael was out of left field. I genuinely thought I accidentally skipped pages or maybe I’d fallen asleep reading and not absorbed the info.
The relationship between Willow and Gray was repetitive at times. Eventually we see growth and it moves the story forward but, we’re at a deficit here. Willow rubber bands from adoration to immense hatred in the same breath multiple times. As a woman, I know he’s trash. As a reader, I’d like the romantic love interests to like each other.
As was my issue with The Coven, the supporting characters get no love. Even though we’ve expanded our roster, I can’t remember who’s who due to lack of individual personality. I can’t care about these characters if we don’t spend any time on them.
Willow is a VERY forgiving person. This leans into Violet-in-Fourth-Wing levels of compassion. I didn’t enjoy it in those books, I don’t love it in these.
*Using that term VERY loosely.
**Agreeable is a STRONG word. He is not a good guy.

𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱.

This was my most anticipated new release of the year (yes, more so than Iron Flame!) and I'm so happy for Harper L Woods that the duo got picked up for publication by Bramble!

After checking my email obsessively for a month, I was so thrilled to find the eARC for The Cursed from the author and made to inhale it as quickly as I could. Perhaps I had overly hyped myself for it though, because this didn't hit for me like The Coven had. This sequel was smut forward with the plot happening in the background that the reader is not privy to so the story felt choppy to me.

That being said, the vibes remained: chosen one, dark and paranormal romance, hate sex, prophecy, and bloodletting. It's a quick read to get you in the mood this spooky season.

The ending gives a preview into a new world and sets up an interesting premise for a spinoff, so I am looking forward to that!

The Cursed is the definition of what I call a binegable, “vibe” read. If I had to quickly describe this book (and duology) it would be: fast-paced, spicy, and swoon worthy.

What to expect:
🦴 Dark fantasy romance
🦴 1st person, dual POV
🦴 Witch x devil
🦴 Villain gets the girl
🦴 Touch her & 💀
🦴 Fierce FMC
🦴 Possessive, villain MMC
🦴 Fast-paced

Overall, this installment to the duology is highly entertaining. The twists and turns kept me on my toes, and the spice scenes had me on the edge of my seat.

Harper L. Woods writing style is easy to digest, and I enjoy her storytelling skills. I absolutely DEVOUR the way she writes dialogue and spice scenes.

Gray has to be one of my favorite MMCs, who I fondly refer to as my “book boyfriend.” He is possessive, deadly, and obsessive all rolled into a devil of a MMC.

The biggest critical feedback I have on this book is that I wanted more clarity, especially around the world/magic system. I would’ve also appreciated a longer ending since this is only a duology.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the spin off in this universe (Margot & Beelzebub’s story) and plan to continue reading any installments to this series.

Absolutely loved this series and this was a perfect second book to me. How do you cope with finding out your married to the literal Devil?!

I love that there really isn't a "good side vs bad side" with the witches and the vessels which is always fun to see. Definitely excited after that ending to see what comes next!!

This was a solid 4/5 ⭐️ for me! The spice had me in a chokehold but I just felt like there was a teeny tiny bit of plot missing which is why I rated it 4 instead of 5! I binged it in a day and it definitely was able to hold my attention. Love Gray + Willow so much and their story will forever be one of my favs!

After absolutely loving The Coven I was so excited for this but it didn’t quite live up to expectations. It was pretty slow and the relationships had some weird developments and pacing. I do enjoy the characters and the overall story so I still am glad I read it and would still recommend the duology.

First, the cover is absolutely stunning! This is one of those books that I would use as decoration it’s that’s gorgeous.
Second, I loved that this book picked up immediately after The Coven, but it was very slow pacing. It took awhile to pick up.

This is the completion of the duology, the sequel to The Coven. I started it right after I finished The Coven. This book was not as interesting as the first for me. The development of relationships was very poor on all levels. The friendships especially seemed unearned for people who claim not to trust anyone. And don't get me started on Ash hugging Gray because they had a talk while Willow was getting dressed after the last time he saw them in The Coven Gray was stabbing her and the time before that he was threatening his life after chasing them. Like no, that's not necessary. The friendship that forms with Leviathan is equally unbelievable. While I think this series was planned out well, the execution as a whole was underdeveloped.
The personification of the demons also made them just seem normal dudes aside from being very strong and big. I did not like this installment as much as the first book, which had that explosive ending that was so interesting to read.
This book had second book in a trilogy energy, not final installment of a duology.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Cursed picks up following the jaw dropping ending of The Coven. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the story was much slower to start than I was anticipating/hoping for. It took until about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through for me to be really invested in seeing where the story went. I still enjoyed the dark academic setting as well as the magic. I enjoyed seeing how the bonding between Grey and Willow affected her magic. However, I found it difficult to connect with the characters. There were many head scratching choices that made it hard to root for them. To be honest, the thing I’m most excited for is the potential spin off that was set up. It’s worth noting too, I enjoyed the overall vibe of the story and still found it enjoyable. Once I was invested, I was fully invested regardless of my feelings on character decisions. Depending on your personal views of spice, this is a very spice heavy book. At times, it felt like the plot was secondary to the spice scenes, so if you personally prefer a less spicy, plot focused book this may not be right for you. If you live for spice and are okay with the triggers, then definitely give this a chance.

This book started very strong. I read it immediately after finishing The Coven. I enjoyed that it picked up where the last book left off. I thought we would see the character's love for each other grow into something, but it could have been better. The evolution wasn't there. I grew to like Gray's character more, but Willow seemed all over the place. She hated him but was also ambivalent. I don't know what she felt in the end. Some of the romance scenes seemed out of place. I am not a fan of spice added to the book just for spice's sake. There could have been some excellent world-building and explanation development of the history of the Coven, but it was too focused on the dark romance. It rushed right through to the end, and it felt unfinished.

I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and Tor Publishing for my honest review.