Heya, dear readers. Did you miss me?
I hopped on the blog to write up this review and… when I saw the date of my last post… well, I cringed. Or did a bit more than cringe. Because when it’s been a whole YEAR since I promised a new post, well, I don’t particularly know what to think. Suffice to say that 2024 was a YEAR. 2025 is promising to be one too, but hey, there are some great books coming out, and I’ll try to tell you all about them. Starting this week with Emily Colin’s latest novel, Cursed in Love!
Blurb
Stars Hollow meets Charmed in this darkly funny, small-town paranormal romcom… Love doesn’t get much more forbidden than this.
In the quirky, tight-knit town of Sapphire Springs, beloved for its chocolate-caramel milkshakes and spicy senior citizens’ book club, Rune Whitlock has always felt like an outsider. Gifted with the ability to see the future but cursed to have no one believe her premonitions, she’s accepted that romance isn’t in the cards. She’s got a cozy cottage, a fulfilling graphic design career, a loyal best friend, and Valentine—the sweet rescue kitty who is definitely not her familiar. So what if she’s sometimes lonely?
But everything changes when she meets Donovan Frost. A brilliant, brooding data engineer, Donovan is everything Rune is not: methodical, reserved, logical. He’s also grumpy, judgmental, and 5-chili-peppers hot. Thrown together on a mysterious work project, the two clash spectacularly—until an unexpected connection ignites between them.
Then, Rune’s gift reveals a chilling truth: they are destined for each other, but their love story is doomed to end in tragedy on their wedding day. To protect Donovan, Rune must push him away, even if it breaks her heart. But the harder she tries, the more entangled they become. As dark forces conspire against them and secrets come to light, Rune must unravel the mystery of her curse…before it’s too late.
✨A woman who’s cursed to see the future but never have anyone believe her premonitions falls in love with a man who’s destined to die on their wedding day. ✨
Sweet Purple Ponies! When I picked up Cursed in Love, I was expecting a cozy romcom with a dash of magic, but Emily Colin delivered so much more. While the book is packed with charm, humor, and swoon-worthy romance, it also has serious stakes and emotional depth that completely took me by surprise. Rune’s backstory is tough—there’s real pain and loss behind her quirky exterior—and the content warnings are definitely there for a reason. These moments, however, never detract from the magic of the story. Instead, they make Rune’s journey feel that much more powerful and real. So expect more of a paranormal romance set in a rom-com world.
Rune Whitlock is the kind of protagonist you can’t help but root for: quirky, fiercely independent, and delightfully awkward in all the right ways. But in Sapphire Springs—a town where the gossip blogs are practically Big Brother-level invasive—Rune can’t so much as slip without the whole town knowing. (Honestly, I could never live there. Rune deserves a medal for surviving it!) Her curse, the ability to see the future but never be believed, is fascinating and perfectly integrated into the plot. It shapes her relationships, her choices, and the quiet loneliness that defines so much of her life.
And then there’s Donovan Frost. Let me just say this: if you’ve ever wanted Henry Cavill as a grumpy data engineer with a spreadsheet obsession (turns out, that’s kinda my type), you’re in for a treat. Rune and Donovan’s chemistry practically jumps off the page—it’s that good. Their dynamic is a delightful mix of opposites attracting, with Rune’s messy, magical unpredictability clashing with Donovan’s buttoned-up, logical approach to life. Yet beneath the surface, they share a connection that feels both inevitable and electric. No wonder the town is shipping them so hard! And speaking of the town, I adore the Sinsters (the senior women’s romantasy book club). They might be a little obsessed with social media gossip, but Hot Yoga Grandma makes up for it.
What really sets Cursed in Love apart, though, is how it constantly keeps you guessing. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, Colin threw in a twist that had me gasping out loud. The way all the threads come together at the end? Absolutely brilliant.
As someone who’s loved Emily Colin’s romantasy (The Sword of the Seven Sins trilogy, Fate and Fury), I was curious to see how her signature style would translate to a contemporary setting. Let me tell you—she nailed it. This book has all her trademarks: magical curses, badass female leads, heart-pounding twists, and those beautiful moments of self-discovery. It’s like she took the essence of romantasy and seamlessly wove it into a small-town paranormal romcom. She may just be the queen of forbidden love.
Cursed in Love truly has it all: romance, magic, high stakes, low stakes, and a heartfelt story about a woman learning to come into her own power—all while falling for her grumpy, reluctant coworker. If you’re a fan of Charmed, quirky small towns, or love stories that make you laugh, cry, and believe in magic, then you’re going to love this book.
Pub Date Feb 14 2025 from Black Orchid Books
Readcommendations 