3.5 stars

I remember enjoying Bewitched a lot and had some high expectations for this book but I'm struggling to verbalize my feelings.

I knew Selene was planning on making Memnon pay for his cruelty but I feel like she herself changed as much as he did when the truth came out.

Their history made it seem like she would do absolutely anything for Memnon, but with what he did to her while her memories were "gone", she just kinda tosses that out like it never existed.

I get it, she's essentially a whole new person and he's hurt her but one thing never changed. He loves her.

A lot of this book seemed like filler and I felt like there was moew going on than what was shown and I was right.

The ending of the book is also a little confusing. Like one thing happened that should be taking their attention but something Memnon did trumped it?

This book gets 3.5 stars for the parts I did enjoy and I will keep my hopes low for the next book.

🖤🥀 Bespelled ARC Review 🥀🖤

Thank you so much to Laura Thalassa and Bloom Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Bespelled is a fantasy romance and book two in the Bewitched series. As always this will be spoiler free, so if this seems vague that’s why. After the events at the end of Bewitched, Selene is adjusting to the consequences of her decisions. Memnon is now an integral part of her life whether she wants him to be or not. So what will she do when her current life collides with the past?

I’m absolutely loving this series! This world is so unique and I loved seeing more of it in this book. Selene has grown so much as a character and I really enjoyed her in this book. Memnon continues to be the most fantastic possessive, morally gray, delicious man and I love him so much. He is unabashedly himself and unapologetic in his ruthlessness.

This book was a fantastic five star read for me! I love this world and the characters! This book had some darker elements, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book also had some delightful spicy scenes throughout, so three flames for spice

If you’re a fan of strong characters, unique world building and ancient enemies vibes, then absolutely pick this one up! As this is a continuation of the first book, I absolutely recommend reading them in order.

I was able to read bespelled right after bewitched and it was everything I needed. I am obsessed with the idea of soul mates who were lovers turned enemies turned lovers again.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Laura is the queen of romantasy.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks, Bloom books. If you thought bewitched was good, then this is even better. The TENSION! The story, Laura’s writing has evolved beyond words. All I can say is that this is a worthy sequel and it’s darn good!!!! Memnon is the daddy you didn’t know existed.

Bespelled was very entertaining to read! And it became an obsession from 70% onwards.
Laura`s writing style is the kind I enjoy, not only on this book, but also on all others I’ve read from her.
We had really interesting plot points added in this book, which I think will improve the next books, if they are explored further. I was pleasantly surprised with the semi-redemption arc for Memnon, but some actions from Selene were very silly, considering all that is happening around her.
But, alas, it didn’t affect my overall experience with the book.

Witch, fated mates, cursed oh my what else could you ask for? Oh a little spice makes it all nice. She was a witch who loses her memory doing magic, he has been cursed to slumber till she wakes and off it goes. So good.

This was a fantastic sequel and I can’t wait for the rest of the books in this series.

Memnon did gravel hard to win back Selene and it worked. He is still a hot af walking red flag however when it comes to Selene he is 100% ride and die.
He is slowly replacing Des as my new book BF.

We got more insight into Selene and Sybil’s relationship and they are true besties. Ride and die without all the walking red flags of Memnon. I enjoyed their relationship so much.

The plot flowed so well, the characters all had amazing development, and some story plots that were introduced last book were finalized and more teased for future books. Everything in this book was so well done, thought out, and brought me pure joy, sadness, tears, and laughter as the character went through those emotions/situations themselves.

As always Lauren Thalassa does it again

I loved the first book but this one just was just ok.
I was so hoping I would love the book since I was so excited for it to come out but it just didn’t live up to the first one. I will still read more book by Laura though.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.8/ 5

It has to be said…
Reading Bespelled made me feel as though a spell had been put on me… 🔮

Whew, now that I got that out of my system - let’s get started.

I thought I had a good time in Bewitched — I had an even better time in Bespelled!

🧙 fated mates

🧙 enemies to lovers

🧙 “who did this to you”

🧙 magical education

🧙forced proximity

🧙 bargains (forced vs forged)

Plus the spice 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

Selene may have her memories back, but that doesn’t mean she’s falling straight into the arms of her ex lover/husband/mate (whatever he is), Memnon! Witches and other supernaturals are still dying and unfortunately she will need the help of her ex to solve these murders — at the risk of her own life!

Returning to Selene’s story was a lot of fun and I really had a hard time putting this book down. The chemistry between her and Memnon really reflected well on the page, although I will say I would’ve preferred for him to maybe grovel a little longer than he did. Selene really adjusted to and embraced the return of her magic! While the concept of her connection with Roxilana (reincarnation…?) is a little bit foggy, I was happy she embraced her past as quickly as she did.

So far I haven’t read a Laura Thalassa book I haven’t liked. I would not give this book five stars as I would like more depth and explanation on a lot of the plot lines, so I’ll be giving it a strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️.8 but I hope as the series continues I get answers to my questions!

However, I read this book in less than 12 hours. The spice was SPICY. 🥵 The tension, the slow burn, all of it was perfect. There were also moments of genuine fluffiness that passed between Selene and Memnon as well as Selene and her friends that I enjoyed. I will be reading again and I applaud Laura!

A huge thank you to netgalley and Laura for the ARC - I was very honored to be able to read this ahead of time. All opinions are my own. 🫶🏼🩷

I enjoyed Bespelled more than Bewitched.
I thought this one had better character development with more information being revealed.
I also enjoyed this book's darker side while upping the fantasy elements.
I can always count on Laura to deliver villainous men, but what I really wanted to see in this book was Memnon to grovel hard, and he did so in spades.

There's plenty of action, suspense, and spicy scenes and I'm hoping we see Memnon and Selene as more endgame in the next book. They have been through it, and I hope they can continue tackling obstacles together.

Thank you, NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Laura, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
It's been released early in the e-book, I highly recommend starting this one today if you loved Bewitched!

"Call me a monster, call me a devil, but you and I both know I will fucking shatter the rules for you. Always for you."

✨ Paranormal Romance
✨ Soul Mates
✨ Millenia Old Curses
✨ Revenge
✨ Morally Grey MMC
✨ Unsolved Murders

This is the second book in the Bewitched series and immediately picks up where the first book ends. This book is a RIDE! We get more suspense, danger and all.the.spice in this one! Selene and Memnon have to work together to find who the killer is while also trying to navigate their feelings for one another. Memnon is determined to almost the point of cocky in making Selene return his feelings for him. I love his devotion and complete belief in her as the "fucking queen that she is." We also see him groveling, with the all powerful sorcerer brought to his knees in this book! Selene is so relatable and I absolutely love her! Her inner monologue had me laughing throughout the book, especially when it came to Memnon. She hates him for what he did but can't help be attracted to him. Their relationship grows and evolves in this book and I was here for every single moment.

This book ends on another cliffy and I'm excited to see where this story goes next!

Thank you so much to Laura and Bloom Books for the advanced copy in return for honest review!

This book was kind of a letdown. It wasn't supper impressed with Bewtiched, but I had high hopes for Bespelled. Maybe I set them too high. I'm thinking that this particular series is just not for me. But it might be for you.

Here is what to expect:
-second in a series - read in order
-mystery
-bonds
-witches

Ultimately, it didn't work for me for a few reasons.
-The Villan went soft
-The magic system did not make sense
-Build up to a showdown that so neatly resolved itself, that it left me wondering why the book was so long

I think this was better than the first book but again, something was missing for me. I guess I expected more angst, more cryingshakingthrowingup. I wished the writing was more... polished? And the heroine sometimes unnerved me but overall it was a nice book.

This is the 2nd book in the Bewitched series and and I was so excited to pick up where we left off from the first book that I absolutely plowed through this book in two days. I absolutely love Selene and Memnon and was so excited to get glimpses of their previous life together, though I will say I wished there were more flashbacks of that previous life, I felt like having more context of everything that happened back then would have rounded things out more for me. But I know that a novella is in the works that will dive into that past further so for now I'll just have to be patient.


There were some moments that felt a little rushed on, such as when Selene and Memnon finally talked things out and got together, I kind of wanted the conflicted hostile feelings to last a while longer(particularly on Memnon's part), maybe that makes me weird but I like the conflict of love/hate and anticipation of the resolution and the reluctant desire, angry Memnon is a hot Memnon *shrugs* lol. But honestly that's pretty much my only critique, I loved the book, I loved the characters, and I am so sad I'll have to wait another year to read what happens next!

ARC was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes and what to expect:
- soulmates
- murder mystery
- witches and intriguing magic system
- reincarnation
- morally grey MMC
- (former) lovers to enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- groveling

A thousand lives wouldn’t be enough with you, but I have to content myself with just this one.

I didn’t think it would be possible to love this even more than Bewitched but I did — this sequel was sooo good!
The witch murder mystery continues with new players on the board and y’all are not ready for all the crazy revelations and plot twists. We’ve barely even scratched the surface of this intriguing world and its workings in Bewitched and the sequel really amps up the stakes and deep dives into the magic system even more. The plot had me screaming at my kindle and I was so invested, I couldn’t put it down.

The relationship between Selene and Memnon was everything. The groveling? Chef’s kiss. After that ending in book one, he has to earn back her trust and she really made him work for it. With her memories back, Selene begins to remember her old life as Roxilana and we learn more about their former lives and what really happened with the curse. The spice was spicing in this book — Memnon has such a mouth on him. The character and relationship development was top tier and definitely made this a five star read.
This series has quickly become one of my all time favorites and I can’t wait to see what happens next. And can we talk about that ENDING???? I need the next book more than my next breath but in the meantime, I can’t wait for The Curse that Binds to read more about Memnon and Roxilana’s story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bloom Books, and Laura Thalassa for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars!!

Reading Laura's books is like eating the perfect piece of cake- its simple, delightful, and fills you up! There's lots of groveling Memnon and stubborn Selene and protective Nero, action and mystery but without dragged out resolution, and continued building out of the world of witches and lycanthropes, and other supernatural beings. This picks up right where Bewitched left off, with Selene having recovered all her memories, Memnon having just framed her for all the murders on campus, and Selene's arrest for said murders.

This book is fast-paced, and I loved how we got insights with Selene and Memnon to learn more about their past life in ancient times! It helped us understand more of the whys behind everything from the first book, and really sets up his journey to win her back over! This also does a lot more of a deep dive into the mysteries on campus, introduces some folks involved, and expands the options for what all could be coming from it!!

I absolutely ate this up- and I loved seeing how consistent Memnon was there, how steadfast he was in his goal of trying to prove his love for Selene, all while she was working through everything she had learned about her past life and is learning to trust someone with her life. The bonds, both literal and metaphorical, that they forged and developed felt so earned for their story!

Thank you so much to Laura Thalassa and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review! Looking forward to what comes next...Beloved? Bemused?

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: cliffhanger
POV: single 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: housefire (non-fatal), torture, murder, possession, drugging, human trafficking, kidnapping, gore, threats, blackmail
standalone: book 2 in the Bewitched series
final thoughts: WOWWWW I’ve been anxiously waiting for this book to get myself off the cliffhanger that was book 1 and this DID NOT DIAPPOINT. Another 5⭐ read from Laura Thalassa with so many tropes, an incredibly intriguing plot, great characters, and intense action and drama. This series has everything, and I can’t wait to see where Selene and Memnon go from here! What an edge-of-your-seat adventure this series is!!

read this book if you love

😬 angst
🥰 nicknames
🏝️ forced proximity (mind connection)
🤫 hidden secrets
💓 slowburn
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
🫡 big MMC
😠 bully
🖤 dark romance
💞 fated mates
🤜 lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies
🧠 “it’s always been you”
🪄 magic
❓ mystery
😜 over the top, jealous, possessive MMC
💖 paranormal romance
🌀 plot twists
🗡️ revenge
2️⃣ 2nd chance romance
👺 secret identity
🐺 shifters
🔮 supernatural creatures- witches, werewolves, fae
🧙‍♀️ witches
🌍 world building
☠️ “touch her and die”

Bespelled
Shortly after finishing Bewitched I read a comment somewhere saying can we get a little grovelling from Memnon and it made me guffaw. I was absolutely ecstatic to see that exact thing happen pretty much at the start of the book 🙌🏼🤭😂.

This book is an absolute wild ride. If you’re familiar with Thalassa’s work you already know to expect fantastic writing - the sense of humour of the FMC and her inner monologue is hysterical, great spice, character development, action packed, did I mention spice?? In my opinion the spice has ramped up a notch or two in book two and that’s saying something because I found Bewitched had a good amount of spice. Twists and turns in the plot keep you engaged and guessing to the very end. Already can’t wait for book 3!

I wanted to like this book, but the characters were both annoying and bland. I liked the plot's premise; it seemed intriguing. Unfortunately, this isn't the book for me.

We hit the ground running in Bespelled with Selene waking up with her memories but imprisoned for the murders that Memnon worked so hard to frame her for in Bewitched. With the return of those memories, Memnon finally learns why Roxilana cursed him.

When he realizes the gravity of what he has done and that he can’t blame anyone but himself, he takes drastic action and offers Selene a bond that makes him heed her every command. Meanwhile, Selene is plagued by the knowledge she cannot stop whoever is killing witches and forcing bonds on supernaturals alone, so she is desperate enough to accept Memnon’s offer.

With darker forces at work and the looming possibility that anyone could be an enemy, Selene will have to guard something more precious than her back if she wants to make it out of this alive… because Memnon is only bound to her until she falls in love with him.

After reading Bewitched, it landed firmly into my #1 new series read of the year, so believe me when I say I am so thrilled to have been able to read this ARC. I came in with high expectations and Laura knocked it out of the park for me! I know the second book in the series can feel like it’s just stringing you along until you get to the end, but this book didn’t feel that way.

The reader gets so much insight into Selene’s character. Laura did a great job conveying her mix of emotions in this book. You can truly feel the internal struggle between the memories from her life as Roxilana and her experiences in this life.

I was heartbroken when Memnon realized the truth. Although I love a toxic king (sue me) I also love that he knew immediately that he had to go nuclear before Selene would even consider trusting him again. I didn’t think it was possible but Memnon got SO MUCH HOTTER in this book. I’m serious, gird your loins y’all.


That being said, I feel like this book answered enough basic questions to make the story a satisfying read, but left me with enough new information and questions that I can’t wait to read the next installment in Selene and Memnon’s story!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, @Read_Bloom for allowing me to write an honest review of the ARC for Bespelled!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

My review was posted to Goodreads and Instagram on 5/14/24.

Amazon review will be submitted on 5/17/24 when it is available for review and will posted on my profile within 48 hours.