Somehow I liked this less than book 1. We left off with Memnon being a spectacular asshole and that doesn't change in this one. Selene's memories are returned to her, her name is cleared, and she remembers her life as Roxilana. She shows Memnon the truth of what happened, and then he gets let off the hook because he's a good lay. I feel like he got off WAY too easily and was forgiven far too quickly for all of the shit he put Selene through in Bewitched and the beginning of Bespelled. He framed her for murders and she let that go way too fast and that really irritated me. She isn't very insightful of other's actions either because she kept trusting the wrong people the whole time despite them waving red flags everywhere. Stop trusting people you KNOW could be trying to kill you. Speaking of which Sybil got on my nerves a lot too, her constant, carefree, party girl attitude despite knowing what Selene was dealing with grated on my patience but made sense eventually. That was like the singular thing that did. Memnon was far too devious for my liking as well, constantly leaving Selene in the dark on his motivations and actions regardless of her being "his queen" who should probably be involved in most of those decisions. The end didn't surprise me either. I wanna know what happened to that Damned Book though, who has it now?

I actively rooted against Selene and Memnon the entire time because I really do not like him. That's definitely not good for a romance story. There were a number of things about their relationship that I found myself rolling my eyes at consistently; Him calling her "mate" or some variation of "my queen" all the time and not treating her like it, her never being able to shut him out of her head because of their bond, the fact that bond exists despite her never choosing or consenting to it in this lifetime, and the ridiculous level or horniness they both were at the whole time.

Really enjoy this series!! The characters are so wonderful! I love the storyline too! The romance and spice are on point! It’s been so thrilling reading about what’s going to happen next! I can’t wait for the next one!

I really enjoyed Bewitched so I was excited to receive an ARC of Bespelled. With the ending of the first book, I was dying to know what was going to happen next to Selene. This book picks up immediately where Bewitched left off. I loved the recap at the beginning of the book! It was a good reminder of the highlights from the first book. I also liked that we learned more about Memnon and Selene backstory and got to see how Selene handled her new memories.

I do wish the characters and their relationship would've been more fleshed out. There is groveling but it was hard for me to feel connected to the characters. It didn't have the angst I was looking for. I think the pacing was off as well. I liked how it started out where Bewitched left off but then I feel like it slowed down after that until closer to the end. A lot happened in the last 20% and it felt rushed.

While I didn't like Bespelled as well as Bewitched, I still enjoyed the story! I'll definitely be picking up the next book to see where Selene and Memnon go from here!

Bespelled sets off right where the end of Bewitched left readers and does not disappoint with its continuation of the journey for Selene and her vengeful sorcerer love Memnon. I quite literally could not keep my eyes off the page as I devoured this tale of mayhem, mystery, and magical chaos. Selene is my girl! Her bravery, compassion, and inner strength shine through the pages. Her inner dialogue had me LOL-ing out loud. And Memnon!!! Unhinged and devoted, Memnon is the embodiment of "burn down the world for his queen." I enjoyed Bespelled and its quick pace and action-driven plot were so much fun to become immersed in and I fell into this story wholeheartedly! I can't wait for the next chapter of this epic tale! If you loved Laura Thalassa's The Bargainer series, this witchy/sorcerer romantasy will be right up your alley.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Bloom Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Selene!! Memnon!!! I just love them so much!!! After that ending I can’t wait to read the last one!!!

The second book is even better than the first, but the real difference was when I switched from the ebook to the audiobook, which truly made the story come alive. Filled with deeper emotions, and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat, it really bolsters the quality of this series. I personally enjoyed the banter and cute inner thoughts from Selene, but I truly appreciated the character development and how the love story unfolds between Selene and Memnon… I need more!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disapoint. I love the story, the characters,the expansion of the world building. Mamnon is the perfect morally gray mmc <3.

Overall a a good book, though fell a little short of the exceedingly high expectations I had after reading the first book.
The story is stilll well written and there is some character development. I

This book was a great follow up in the Bewitched series.

There was more romance, magic, twists, and action. I enjoyed how the story and romance unfolded.

While there were a few frustrating and slow-paced moments I was still captivated by where the story was heading.

Overall, just an enjoyable read and I cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Laura Thalassa's Bespelled is the perfect blend of fun and spice from start to finish. This sequel to Bewitched weaves magic, romance, and suspense seamlessly, keeping readers guessing what Memnon's true motives are. Selene is my favorite type of heroine. Fun, ballsy, and good hearted. I'm obsessed with Selene and Memnon's love story! Thalassa's vivid world-building, witchy atmosphere, and compelling characters have me impatiently waiting for the prequel and sequel. Thalassa's writing just keeps getting better and better. 10/10 Highly recommend for fans of Kresley Cole and Sarah J. Maas.

This book guys!! I've been waiting for so long and it did NOT disappoint. "Bespelled" is the highly anticipated sequel to the popular novel "Bewitched" and it was truly impressive! From the very first chapter, I was completely engrossed and couldn't put it down. The plot kept me on edge, and I was eager to find out what would happen next! (So naturally, I stayed up until 3 am to finish it.)

"Cities can burn and centuries can pass and none of it means anything to me without you. So stay safe, my queen. And remember- stab first, ask questions later"

I already adored Selene and Memnon, and this book made me fall deeper for them.

(Advanced reader's copy through NetGalley)

Bespelled continues Selene and Memnon’s story with all the drama, magic, and intensity fans of Bewitched will expect. There’s a lot of tension and magical conflict as Selene navigates her memories and the lingering consequences of her past life.

That said, I still struggled to fully connect with the story, just like I did with the first book. While the plot has intriguing twists and a fast pace, I found myself feeling more detached than drawn in. The romance didn’t quite hit the emotional depth I was hoping for, and some of the world-building felt a bit rushed.

I think fans of the first book will enjoy the continuation, but for me personally, this series didn’t fully click.

Rating: 2.75 - 3⭐

I wanted to love this series, but I just didn't like the MMC at all. With a plot that was so heavily dependent on the love story, this has a very large impact on my enjoyment of Bespelled as a whole. I loved the FMC and the story, but Memnon just wasn’t it. I couldn’t bring myself to overlook how he treated Selene in book one, especially after it was revealed that even Roxilana had not betrayed him. I love dark romance, and even bully romance, but it’s a huge turnoff for me if one of the love interests does anything to intentionally harm the other after realizing and/or acknowledging their feelings. The “who did this to you” moment, as spectacular as it was, couldn’t even win me over to his side after the way that he acted. Other than Memnon, I greatly enjoyed everything else and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book.

A fitting end to the duology, this book wraps up all the questions posed in the first book. We finally have an answer for how our MC came to be and the consummation of her love story as well. I enjoyed the romance in this book a ton but I also thought the magic university setting was lovely as well and, as before, I think the familiars are such a fun edition to this story.

My only real issue was the same one I had with the previous book in that the romance was too intense to quickly and that definitely bleeds over into this book as well. Even though our MCs have known each other from lifetime to lifetime, I think they could have spent more time getting to know each other in these lives!!!

Also, I love a murder mystery aspect to any magical story and this one was no different. I always love the hunt for clues and the mystery being finally solved.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

I wish I'd reread the first book before getting to this one! I absolutely love Laura Thalassa's books, but I struggled a bit to remember where things were left at the end of Bewitched. This is totally a me problem too, and I think if I'd reread the first book I would have loved this more.

Bespelled by Laura Thalassa is an enchanting blend of fantasy, romance, and magic that will captivate readers from start to finish. Thalassa’s writing is vivid and immersive, creating a world full of magic, mystery, and tension. The chemistry between Esme and the male lead is electric, and their evolving relationship adds depth to the story. The plot is fast-paced and filled with twists, keeping readers hooked until the very last page.

All the yesses. I thoroughly enjoy this series. It is everything that Laura is know to bring us in a story

I LOVE YOU LAURA and your books; thank you for this book and all of the others you have written in the past; I cannot WAIT for book 3 😍 drop that title!! haha

A fun and engaging slow burn fantasy romance with humor and heart. Strong female lead and unique world building. A solid choice.

Phenomenal from start to finish as always when reading anything by Laura Thalassa! I devoured this book and eagerly await the next!!!