Book Review - The Cursed by Harper L. Woods

The Cursed by Harper L. Woods

Since I read The Coven in March I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book. I did have to go back and refresh my memory of the last book before going into this book because it's been so long since I read it. But the first book ended on a massive cliffhanger, huge as in the main character is married to the literal devil. 

So this book picks up where the last leaves off, with Willow still reeling after learning of Gray's (aka Lucifer's) betrayal. On top of that, Beelzebub, one of Lucifer's archdemons, kills Willow on Lucifer's previous orders, and Gray is forced to resurrect her, which is an uncomfortable and painful process. So Willow feels torn since she still loves Gray but can't find it in her to trust him. 

There is so much angst and tension between them now since Willow can't stand to be near Gray but also can't seem to stop bringing her comfort. I've seen some reviews criticizing Gray and saying that he's icky in this book, but I just can't bring myself to agree with them. Willow means everything to Gray, he's been waiting so long for her, and now that he finally has her, he isn't willing to let her go. Now I can see why people say it's problematic, but I thought it works very well because it shows that Gray sees Willow as his everything. But as much love I have for Gray, I also have for Willow. She is one of the strongest female characters I've read about and I have so much love and respect for her and her growth. 

As much as I loved the characters in this book, I'm not quite sure how I felt about the plot and story. It almost felt as though nothing really happened in the first 50 percent. Most of it was Willow stuck in Gray's room and a lot of descriptions about her emotions or his emotions. The story didn't really start moving until around 60 percent, but when it finally started moving, it went fast. I thought this book really nicely wrapped up the story of Willow and Gray while leaving it open-ended for other characters and the spin-off series that will follow. I just wish that this book wasn't as smut-focused, because it felt like there was nothing but sex for like 70 percent of the book. Regardless, I liked the writing style enough to the point where I'll definitely read more by Harper L. Woods.