Heat Factor: mild, but with intense yearning and basic scenes

Character Chemistry: ugh how can two people be so perfect and so at odds simultaneously

Plot: Tess is desperate to avoid the baked-in trauma of life on the island of Stenland…only her childhood love, Soren, and two best friends continue to draw her back.

Overall: This book was all about the heart being tugged where it wants to go regardless of our plans.

Ohhhh this book. What’s it with broody island books, a hefty dose of yearning, and lifelong magnetic chemistry? Because apparently that’s my jam.

First off, as a full disclosure I’m not sure this qualifies as a straightforward romance. It is one—the relationship between Tess and Soren is by far the anchor point to the entire story—but there’s an equally important, albeit quiet relationship between Tess and Stenland, (and of course, Tess and her heritage) and since you can love a place as well as a person (and with just as many complications), we’ll roll with it for today.

Essentially, Tess grows up on a Scandinavian island called Stenland, where, periodically, three women will wake up on a given day with three black lines on their foreheads and the unfortunate side effect of turning anyone they look at into stone. The curse lasts three months for the women, but those who are turned to stone are lost forever. The island has adapted by secluding whichever three women are marked in a stone keep, and providing what they need through blindfolded keepers. The problem is that all of the women on the island grow up knowing they need to check their foreheads every morning, just to be sure they aren’t cursed, because understandably a lapse in judgement means death, and usually to unsuspecting loved ones.

And that’s exactly what happened when Tess’ mother accidentally kills Soren’s parents one morning while out for a walk. The fall out is permanent—Soren is left an orphan, Tess’ mother leaves the island forever, and Tess is determined to leave as well, as soon as she’s able to secure a scholarship to college in another country.

The story follows Tess as she tries to reconcile her deep and unaltered love for Soren with her own needs, and with Soren’s conflicting ones. Tess’ feelings are so raw and understandable throughout the book; she’s incredibly self aware about the way her heart works, and she can clearly see that Soren’s heart is just as tied to Stenland as hers is to freedom from it. As a reader it’s challenging to see a way forward for them. For Tess, it’s clear that if she’s ever responsible for turning anyone into stone, she’ll never forgive herself. And for Soren, living a full life in his hometown, studying his culture and being part of the landscape is where he feels most fulfilled. It seems like the only way for them to be together is going to be at the expense of one of them, and that the relationship is ultimately doomed.

But of course, nothing is that simple. What Tess is left to unravel is her relationship with uncertainty, with fear, and with accepting the trauma and loss that is baked in to the life and home she’s both loved and been burdened with.

The book ended abruptly but appropriately—more detail would have put it more firmly into the romance genre but would have detracted from the plot. And of course, by ending that way the reader is kind of gifted with a hangover of longing that very clearly echoes the rest of the book…but luckily it’s a very satisfying kind of book hangover.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Full of beautiful imagery, high emotions, tight bonds, and a touch of the supernatural, this is one read you won't soon forget. You can feel the emotions rolling off the page from the start, the reluctance, the nerves, the anticipation. Even if you've never lived in an isolated island community, if you've lived in a small town, and moved away, you'll understand that feeling of going back, the way people there will treat you differently, and how it feels going back. I got wrapped up in Tess's story quickly. Her friendship with Kitty and Linnea was heartwarming, and a stark contrast to the darker side of things that haunted Tess. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you’re looking for a gripping story that will play on your heart strings, and keep your interest piqued from start to finish while weaving in an undertone of romance, then you’ll want to read this!

SUMMARY

Laura Brooke Robson's A Curse for the Homesick takes readers to the windswept island of Stenland, where women live under the shadow of a peculiar curse. During unpredictable periods known as "skeld season", women can wake with three black lines across their foreheads - a mark that gives them the unwanted power to turn anyone they make eye contact with into stone.

This curse forms the backdrop for a complicated love story between Tess Eriksson and Soren Fell. Their lives are inextricably linked by tragedy: when Tess was twelve, her mother became a skeld and accidentally turned Soren's parents to stone, killing them instantly. Despite this devastating connection, the two find themselves drawn to each other, developing feelings that neither can fully escape.

The novel follows Tess's journey through different periods of her life-from her youth in Stenland to her adult life in San Francisco, California, where she tries to build a new existence far from the curse. But when she returns to attend her childhood friend Linnea's wedding, she confronts both her unresolved feelings for Soren and her complicated relationship with her homeland.

At its heart, the story explores two people who want fundamentally different things: Tess longs to escape the island and the possibility that she might one day become a skeld, while Soren remains determined to stay in the only place he's ever called home, despite the risks. Their love is a constant push and pull - she tries to come back for him, he tries to leave for her - but their conflicting desires create seemingly insurmountable barriers.

MY THOUGHTS

A Curse for the Homesick sits comfortably within the literary fantasy genre, blending magical realism with deeply personal exploration of identity and belonging. Robson has created a fascinating premise that serves as a powerful metaphor - the curse effectively symbolises the burdens placed specifically on women and the sometimes suffocating expectations of conforming to societal roles.

The strength of this novel lies in its atmospheric quality. Stenland feels properly lived-in and real, with its distinctive customs and collective trauma creating a setting that's both haunting and oddly cosy. Robson's prose is notably lyrical. The narrative structure, which moves through different periods of Tess's life, effectively captures how our relationships with home evolve as we grow and change.

However, I found myself never quite connecting with the characters as deeply as I would have liked. While the tragic link between Tess and Soren provides a compelling foundation for their relationship, their emotional dance becomes somewhat repetitive over time. The "will-they-won't-they" aspect dragged on longer than necessary, making portions of the narrative feel stagnant rather than developing.

The novel's examination of friendship - particularly between Tess, Linnea and Kitty - adds welcome complexity. These relationships aren't portrayed as straightforward but rather as complicated bonds that evolve and sometimes strain with time and distance. This nuanced approach to female friendship felt refreshingly honest.

What I found most engaging was the book's central question: how much should we sacrifice for love, and is it worth risking everything for someone when the consequences could be devastating? The ambiguity of these questions, and the characters' struggles with them, elevates the story beyond a simple romance.

Whilst I appreciated the concept and Robson's talent for creating a distinctive atmosphere, I ultimately found myself wishing for a bit more momentum in the narrative. The premise promised more emotional impact than the execution delivered, leaving me feeling that this was a good book that could have been truly exceptional with tighter pacing.

Overall, this book offers a thoughtful exploration of home, love and responsibility wrapped in an intriguing magical premise, even if it doesn't quite reach the emotional heights it aims for.

I devoured the story of Tess and Soren in two days. I just didn't want to let them go, or their friends and family members. What a wonderful, magical, mythical story about skelds, women who live on the fictional island of Stenland and who, during "skeld season", have the ability to turn people to stone with one look.

The book is really about love: the kind you feel for your parents, where you grew up, your friends, your first love, the person who is supposed to be your life partner.

Now I long for the island, for my own Soren, for the sea. If this doesn't wind up as my very favorite book of the year, it will be in my top five.

I can't want to read more from this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and freely given.

A little gem of a magical realism book about loving, longing and one of the best friendships I’ve ever encountered. The only part that I regret is not getting a hold of the audio which I know would have been amazing paired with the physical read.

Besides that… Tess, I love you forever.

Wow, this has become one of my favorite books this year. I've come to love magical realism and didn't know going in that I would be introduced to a world where no one is surprised by a cursed island where women can turn people into stone.

This was beautifully written, aching and longing in all the right ways. I worried I would be put off by another story of a couple coming together and breaking apart repeatedly due to miscommunication or something, but it didn't happen here. The reader follows Tess in her need to get away from her home, but her inability to keep Stenland out of her heart. Her desperation to be as far from the cursed land as possible conflicts with her overwhelming love for Soren. It was easy to relate to Tess' fear of hurting those she loves, but also of living a stagnant life. The reader is taken on a journey of tragedies, of friendships in the time of need, the strength of family and community, of possibility and regret. I loved this story that @laurabrookerobson wove. It gradually built and I became more and more invested in Tess and her friends' lives, and found myself in tears the last 20% of the book. This book definitely needs more attention! Thank you @_mira_books_ @htp_hive @htpbooks for the advanced copy!

"Do you feel like the two of us / have been falling in love for ten thousand years? The point of the thesis was that people in the past weren’t so different from us. They were awed by history as we are awed by history. They were inspired, and they in turn became inspiration."

"I could not explain the duration of my love or the depths of my fear; maybe the words only existed in a language we had lost."

It started out OK, but went downhill for me. What was the reason for the curse? Eventually lost interest and skimmed. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Laura Robson’s "A Curse for the Homesick" is an absolutely breathtaking exploration of love, responsibility, and regret. The novel’s central premise - the skeld curse that can turn loved ones to stone - is an elegant metaphor for the inescapable weight of love, whether for a person, a home, or a past we can't outrun. Robson’s lyrical prose weaves magic realism into something deeply human. The writing is stunning, the emotions raw, and the themes profound. This is a must-read for anyone who understands that love is the deepest and darkest magic of all.

“Sometimes I think I’m only me when I’m with you”

Thank you Mira and HTPHive for the free book! #hive #htppartner All opinions are my own.

A Curse for the Homesick is a beautifully told story with a sweet and moody vibe. It is full of magical realism and while the story is at times melancholic, it is captivating from start to finish.

Tess lives in fear that she will one day wake with three black lines on her forehead and be marked as a skeld. It happened to her mother when Tess was young, with devastating consequences. On Stenland, skeld season lasts three months and comes without warning. When it comes any woman living on the island can wake a skeld and turn those who look them in the eye to stone. Soren bears the weight parent’s death at the hands of Tess’s mother when he was just a child. He should despise Tess for her mother’s carelessness, but instead they can’t help but fall in love.

This book is incredibly moving and the writing is flawless. It is a story about friendship, true love and the community we choose to lean on when it comes to risking it all. It made me think about the sacrifices we are willing to make to stay close to the people we love and the complexity of the deep bond that we have to the place we call home. In the end we are the only ones who can determine the responsibilities that we choose to carry.

Read if you like:

Magical realism
Childhood love
Fated lovers
Thought provoking stories
Moody atmospheric writing
Close Door Spice

A Curse for the Homesick is SO unique! The setting is melancholic and gloomy and full of magical realism. If an Adrienne Young book smashed a Kazuo Ishiguro book, this is probably what their baby would be.

***5 stars***

Wow, wow, wow. I *loved* this book. It was poetic and melancholy and poignant. Yet, I also laughed out loud repeatedly.

It is a story of friendship, loss, heartbreak, and love. At its center, it is a story about home. The relationships in this story are complex and multi-faceted. For me, Robson did an incredible job incorporating the magical aspects of this book into the reality of the characters so that it added to the story in a way that did not feel fantastical. Instead, it was extremely relatable. In fact, my personal love story with my partner resonates in many ways with that of Tess and Soren. So, I found reading this book to be both challenging and healing.

Laura Brooke Robson has a new fan. I cannot wait to check out other works by this author and add a physical copy of this book to my shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC copy of this book. My review is honest and completely my own.

This captivating and thought-provoking novel is perfect for readers who enjoy delving into the complexities of human relationships and moral ambiguity. Fans of provocative romance and character-driven fiction will be enthralled by the intricate web of emotions and the ethical quandaries faced by the characters. The story explores the profound power of love, the immense weight of responsibility, and the sacrifices individuals make in the pursuit of happiness. With its richly developed characters and nuanced exploration of the human condition, this book will resonate with those who appreciate stories that challenge conventional notions of right and wrong, and delve into the depths of human experience.

normal people-core, in not-scotland, plus a tragedy and a curse. falls apart a little bit in the third act but the yearning is vvv good.

Imagine waking up one morning to discover you've got the power to turn people to stone. That's the fate Tess has tried to escape. She moved from her small island home to the US but now she's come back and she's facing her life. And Soren. Soren, whose parents Tess's mother turned to stone while she was a skeld. This is an unusual mix of romance and kinda horror (that skeld thing) that's also quite atmospheric. There's also a strong emphasis on family and friendship. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I was surprised by how much I liked this one.

4/5. Releases 2/18/25.

The Vibes:

—light fantasy

—remote islands

—the "childhood sweethearts to longing pipeline"

The Basics:

Tess returns to her childhood home of Stenland, where during "skeld season", random women wake up with three black lines on their foreheads, which means they can (and will, if unchecked) unwittingly turn people to stone. Waiting for her is Soren, her lost love (whose parents Tess's mother turned to stone). Tess always wanted to leave—Soren always wanted to stay. But what if staying means risking his life?

The Review:

What a unique, beautifully written, melancholic book. It's definitely romantic, though I don't know if I would call it a romance so much as I'd call it fantasy-driven women's fiction with a strong romantic plot. Tess and Soren's relationship is the backbone of the book, and it is a gorgeously compelling relationship. I mean, you kind of have to love a book wherein the heroine's mom killed the hero's parents (even if she didn't intend to).

That gives way to a relationship that neither Soren nor Tess can leave behind, even though it's overshadowed by this feeling of inexorable doom.
But that's not all! There's a big sense of like, "What is home", "Am I my mother's sins", and the sense of women being ostracized and made into the proverbial boogeyman because women are strange and Mysterious. Tess's relationships with her best friends is a big part of the story, and I loved how delightfully complex those bonds were. Friendships are not always straightforward!

I loved the mythology here—magic involving the sea (I mean, sort of) is difficult for me to resist, and it does underline how, again, stunningly Robson writes. This is some truly wonderful prose. There is a natural reality with this type of lyricism that you often lose some of the emotional proximity to the characters.

A wistful—yet hopeful—novel with a unique voice and setting, I would definitely recommend A Curse for the Homesick to people who want their women's fiction different from the norm... with a heavy dose of romance.

Thanks to MIRA and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A sad melancholic maglical realism story that features a story about an island where women can turn men into stone...and one woman spends her life trying to keep herself apart and holding her heart out in hopes of outrunning the curse but finding herself coming back constantly to the island and the the one man who has had her heart all her life. On the island of Stenland there is a season known as ths skeld season: one day, any woman on the island can wake with three black lines on her forehead, the mark of the skeld... and the season comes without warning... and lasts for only 3 months... but the problem is that said skeld can turn anyone into stone.. essentially killing then. When Tess's mom awakens as a skeld and kills Soren's parents, they should be a a reason enough for them to never cross paths... yet fate has other plans as they both find themselves orbiting one another all throughout high school and so on as they fall in love. But Tess is haunted by her mother's actions and the fear that she might one day wake up and turn Soren into stone, she is determined to escape the island and be freed.... but Soren is an island boy, he plans on staying there forever.... Tess and Soren love one another but with such different views on their futures they constantly separate and reunite throughout the years of their lives. The story goes back and forth between the present and past, presenting Tess and Soren's relationship and how their lives change over time and how they cannot stay away from one another, no matter the years apart, the new partners... they are constantly drawn back to one another and despite how far Tess goes she is drawn back to the island. The story felt very reminiscent of an Adrienne Young romantic magical realism story but it just kind of felt lacking in the final chapters. I guess I just wanted something more, I wasn't a big fan of the ending and just wanted one more chapter to see how Soren and Tess are together. The story itself was very atmospheric but throughout it you just want to shake them both and get them to properly communicate and just discuss their issues rather than jumping to a conclusion. I would say this is a good book for fans of magical realism stories with romance but it just was a sad tone and i just guess for all the angst I went through in this book I was hoping for a better ending. The writing was interesting and the overall idea is one I can see a lot of people really enjoying.

Release Date: February 18, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Atmospheric, beautifully written, otherworldly story of an island nation cursed. Tess has always lived in fear of Skeld season and it informs everything she does. This book is a deep look into how we protect ourselves even to the detriment of ourselves, how we love and allow others to love us, and how we can never fully escape the things that make us. A little slow to start but it’s one I’ll think about for awhile. 4.5 rounded up.

Wow, this was INCREDIBLE. It's a magical realism story, but all in a very normal way, so it doesn't feel all wishy-washy. This book took a curse on a remote Scottish island and used it as a metaphor for friendship, love, self-love, and everything in between.

The writing was so incredibly beautiful, and I wept deeply at multiple points!!

A story steeped in trauma and revenge.... A Curse for the Homesick by Laura Brooke Robson is an adrenaline rushed story for those that have lost. So grateful to have had the opportunity to read this!!

Some loves are written into the marrow of your bones, no matter how far you run.

A Curse for the Homesick is a hauntingly beautiful tale of longing—for love, for home, for a life unmarked by tragedy. Stenland, a wild, cursed island off the coast of Scotland, is both sanctuary and prison for Tess, who has spent her life torn between escape and the one person who makes staying feel like fate. Tess, Kitty, and Linnea are the kind of friends who shape you, their bond weathering the years even as life pulls them in different directions. And Soren—steady, forgiving, inevitable—is the love she’s always known but never let herself claim.

This is a story of the aching push and pull between past and future, of growing up and apart, of love that endures despite curses, despite grief, despite time. It is beautiful, it is heartbreaking, and it lingers like the ghost of a song you once knew by heart.