The Kiss Curse

The Kiss Curse is Erin Sterling's 2022 second installment in the Graves Glen series, continuing the witchy small-town romance world established in The Ex Hex whilst shifting focus to a new central couple - Gwyn Jones, Vivi's cousin, and Caid MacKay, a stranger whose arrival in Graves Glen coincides with supernatural disturbances that suggest his presence in the town isn't entirely ordinary. Through Gwyn's perspective as a witch who is confident in her magical abilities and her place in Graves Glen's community, Sterling delivers the series' signature blend of humor, warmth, and genuine romantic tension whilst exploring a different dynamic than the reunited lovers of the first book - one where the complications arise from discovering who someone truly is rather than rediscovering someone already known.

Gwyn Jones established herself as a distinct and entertaining supporting character in The Ex Hex, her confidence, wit, and comfortable relationship with her own identity making her a natural protagonist for the second book. As Vivi's cousin and fellow witch, Gwyn operates within the Graves Glen magical community with an ease that reflects both her abilities and her deep roots in the town - she knows who she is and where she belongs, creating a different starting point for romance than Vivi's carefully maintained walls and buried history.

Caid MacKay arrives in Graves Glen presenting as an ordinary man, but Gwyn's witchy instincts suggest that something about him doesn't quite add up. The tension between what he appears to be and what he might actually be drives the novel's central dynamic, with Gwyn's magical perception creating awareness of complications that wouldn't be apparent to non-magical residents. Sterling uses this setup to explore how attraction operates when you suspect someone isn't being entirely straightforward, and what it means to be drawn to someone whose full truth hasn't yet been revealed.

The Graves Glen setting continues developing as Sterling expands the town's magical community, its traditions, and the paranormal landscape beyond what was established in the first book. Gwyn's deeper roots in the community compared to Vivi's more complicated relationship with the town allow different aspects of Graves Glen life to come forward, enriching the series' world whilst maintaining the cosy atmosphere and humor that define the setting.

The autumn aesthetic continues providing atmosphere - Graves Glen's seasonal character, its magical traditions, and the sense of a community where witchcraft is woven into everyday life rather than hidden from it create the backdrop for Gwyn and Caid's developing relationship.

Supporting characters include Vivi and Rhys, whose presence connects the books and shows how characters from the first book have settled into their lives whilst Gwyn's story unfolds, creating continuity without requiring readers to have experienced the first book.

Themes of seeing beneath surface appearances, attraction complicated by uncertainty, confidence meeting genuine challenge, community and belonging, and what it means to trust someone whose full nature is still revealing itself run throughout.