Review: From Bad to Cursed

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This worked for Home for the Horrordays because the town is looking forward to the Flower Moon Festival to celebrate Beltane, May Day. 

I read the first in the series, Payback's a Witch, and liked the fictional town of Thistle Grove where centuries ago, four witches came to America and founded the town. I wouldn't say it was absolutely necessary to read the first but you would get background on the family dynamics and how everything got flipped when a new witch takes over. We did meet Isidora and Rowan in the first and it was obvious that there was bad blood between them for some reason. 

All told from Isidaora's pov we come into the story when she is trying to summon a demon to blow off steam. Her family has the magic of dead things, so ghosts, demons, and the like. Her summoning doesn't exactly go to plan but she gets things back under control and goes to attend a ceremony where the Thorn's, Rowan's family, are beginning the celebration for Beltane. Rowan's family has the magic of living things but when his cousin is trying to bring life to plants she gets cursed/attacked by some dark magic and it looks like it could come from someone in Isidora's family. 

Head witch Emmy (female main character from book 1) picks Rowan to lead an investigation to find out who attacked the Thorns. Isidora's mom feels like it could be a witch hunt towards her family, so she appoints Isidora to head her own investigation. Giving us forced proximity as Isidora and Rowan have to work together. 

Isidora and Rowan are pretty much together this whole book, which was nice to see our leads together but I ended up missing some of the magic of the setting (town, friends, family) that I got in the first. Towards the middle it's revealed why these two are starchy towards one another and it was kind of meh and felt a little childish but Isidora was eighteen at the time and Rowan would have been early twenties, but seven years of animosity felt a bit much. I can't say I ever felt too much chemistry between the two, they do get an open door scene but even though they spent so much time together, there just wasn't the depth of emotion I was looking for. 

The ending delivers a reveal of who's behind the cursing and a we get some magical, ghost, demon, and witches little battle scene. Proper Halloweenie vibes for seasonal fun but I felt like the pace dragged for a lot of the book as I couldn't quite feel it between these two.

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Review: Payback's a Witch

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 

3.5 stars 

Every fifty years the four founding families of Thistle Grove must hold the Gauntlet, a tourney to determine the founding family that will preside over all things magical in the town. For three hundred years the Blackmoores have only lost once but there is a mutiny brewing. Emmy Harlow left town nine years ago with a broken heart but as the Harlow scion (heir) she must be the Arbiter for the Gauntlet. 

Gareth Blackmoore---my first love, my most humiliating and heart-crushing breakup, and the reason I abandoned an entire life---genuinely did not remember me. 

The delightfully titled Payback's a Witch is a magical realism story that introduces readers to a world they are going to fall in love with. At times overly descriptive with some pacing problems, it nevertheless pulled me into this world and I didn't want to leave. As the first in the series, a lot of the first half is setting up the Thistle Grove world as told through our narrator, Emmy Harlow. The four founding families are the Harlows, Thorns, Avramovs, and Blackmoores. The Harlows are the least powerful with the Blackmoores having the most power and are slowly but surely building a tourist empire that is choking the life out of the other families businesses. In highschool Emmy had a romance with Gareth Blackmoore but he broke it off alluding that Emmy wasn't good enough, which had her leaving town and creating a life in Chicago where she feels she has more agency and power as more than just the bottom of the rung Harlow. However, once the witches leave Thistle Grove, their power immediately starts to lessen until it disappears. 

She tipped her sleek head toward me, lazy grin glinting like a blade's edge. “Enter the final member of our vengeance coven.” 

Reading Update: 10%

 

This title deserves a five course gourmet meal but it’s so hot here, I’m not using the oven, so sammy with the witches. 

🥵🥪🧙‍♀️ 

I’m about four chapters in and, y’all, this is good. 

Stay cool, well read, and fed this weekend, my friends!

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper preorder (Oct 5) link

Avocado Egg Salad recipe

I sprinkle some paprika on top