Do books like The Kiss Curse need any introduction on this blog anymore? I’ve read enough of these books by now that most of you know why I was drawn to them. But there may be a bit more spice to this review than other witch books I’ve done lately, so stay tuned to hear more about that.
After Vivi Jones and her boyfriend-now-husband Rhys Penhallow saved Graves Glen from being consumed by a curse, everything seems peachy keen in town, especially since a whole bunch of Halloween and fall-themed activities are about to take place. But there are some strange new characters skulking around town, starting with Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow, Rhys’s older brother, who has coincidentally opened a witchcraft trinket store right across from the Jones’s. But once Gwyn’s magic starts acting strangely, she teams up with Wells, who she had a rocky encounter with in college, to figure out what’s happening now in Graves Glen.
Since this is a sequel to The Ex Hex, one of the more engaging witch reads of last year, I knew what I was getting into. It sounded par for the course for two people close to the original couple to get the romantic comedy treatment this time around. But when I bought the book, I failed to recognize something kind of important to my overall enjoyment of the book.
Gwyn is Vivi’s cousin and Wells is Rhys’s older brother. Now that Vivi and Rhys are married, Gwyn and Wells are related now. Which makes their romantic entanglements kind of…ick.
Now of course, a few characters do rightfully point out that there is a family tree issue with these two having a tryst. But do Gwyn or Wells take a moment to remember that they are related and should not be exchanging liquids? Nope. Either the more rational characters are told to shut up or are altogether ignored in favor of another sloppy kiss or horny look.
When your book hinges on a romantic couple having proper chemistry and feeling right for each other, I don’t think that should include the characters first being related by marriage. If not for that little technicality, the romance would be just fine, run-of-the-mill escapist junk food, but the technicality still blaringly exists, so.
I will say that I did not come to this book for the romantic stuff. No, I came for the magical hijinks, which sadly, this book is a little low on. Yes, Gwyn is tasked with teaching three wayward college witches about proper magic use, but that’s not quite as fun.
Honestly, the most interesting stuff happens when Gwyn and Wells try to figure out why magic is so haywire. Their banter is okay and the mystery is at least compelling. But again, I must remind you guys that the author is pushing romantic tension between two related parties. I can’t be the only one who thinks that is pretty weird and gross.
One other positive, I guess, is that we get more family drama with Wells and Rhys’s father, Simon, who is more of a conservative, power-hungry grump than normal and does some pretty awful things to get his way. But that is not enough to recommend this book above The Ex Hex or any other witchy rom com.
So, yeah, I say go ahead and read The Ex Hex, but leave this one behind. It does not add anything more to this world and the romantic pairing is, well…
The Library Key 