The Kiss Curse: An Ex Hex Novel (The Ex Hex, #2)

by Erin Sterling

• ISBN10: 0063027518
• ISBN13: 9780063027510
• Publish Date: 20 September 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

The Kiss Curse takes place about a year after The Ex Hex, and much has changed since then. It’s now the Jone’s family’s magic that fuels and protects Graves Glen. Vivi has married Rhys and left town for a trip with her new husband, leaving Gwyn to take the wheel.

One of the things I love most about this series is how the women are characterized in terms of romance. They are fully comfortable in themselves and their lives, making the romance a pleasant addition to their lives rather than a necessity. In this book, Gwyn loves her life. She loves her family, she loves her store, and she even loves her new role as mentor to the three “Baby Witches.” So, of course, enter Wells, the brother of her cousin’s husband, against whom she’s holding a grudge. Because he didn’t, in her eyes, bother to show up for the wedding. To make it worse, he opens a high-end witchcraft shop across the street. But all of that pales when a new threat rears its ugly head.

The book is a perfect blend of romance, witchiness, humor, and mystery. An enjoyable read!

[Quirky Cat]

The witchy romantic subset has quickly become one of my favorites, allowing for a slightly lighter magical tale than my usual choice. The Ex Hex was released last year, and now it is finally time for the sequel - The Kiss Curse.

Gwyn Jones is the quirky and passionate cousin portrayed during The Ex Hex. She's as loyal as they come, which is why she's stayed in Graves Glen. Now that her family holds the town's magic, she couldn't imagine walking away from it.

Recently, Gwyn has really started coming into her own. Her shop may be struggling, but she enjoys mentoring some of the younger witches in town (or, as she calls them, baby witches). Everything seemed okay. Right up until Wells Penhallow came into town with a clear ulterior motive.

“It turned out a cat’s thoughts were mostly about food and insults,”

Okay, so there's a lot to love about The Kiss Curse. First, let's start with the obvious pros: witchy romance, talking cats (as introduced in the previous novel), determined characters, oh, and don't forget that classic enemies-to-lovers trope.

It's perfection. Or purrfection (Purrcival made me say that). Heading back to Graves Glen was a delight, especially as the town seemed to be just as full of witchy drama as the last time. Possibly more, given everything that has changed.

I loved how light and entertaining The Kiss Curse was. It has some darker notes (blood depiction, kidnapping, etc.), but it doesn't get so dark as to be anything other than a relaxing romantic read. But don't worry! If you're looking for one of those characters you love to hate, you'll certainly still find that (courtesy of the Penhallow elder).

Getting a chance to see a bit more of how Graves Glen operates was fun. It sort of reminded me of a more magical version of Stars Hollow, where everyone knows everyone, including their drama. Not a place I'd probably want to live in, but I sure do love reading about it.

Long story short, The Kiss Curse is everything that I had hoped for. And the best part? I feel like the series isn't yet over. So we can count on at least one more novel from the Ex Hex series!

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