Once Charmed, Twice Cursed: A Standalone Fantasy Romance

by Shaylin Gandhi

Bria Radcliffe is Charmed, blessed at birth with the Mark of the fortune goddess. Armed with divine favor, Bria has survived freak storms, unearthed buried treasure, and secured her family’s fortune. Now she has no shortage of admirers clamoring to share her magical luck—of her hometown’s hundred eligible bachelors, ninety-nine have proposed.

Only Weston Wildes, her brother’s best friend, remains silent. He’s the only man Bria wants, but he bears the Mark of a Null—one whose touch can permanently negate her luck. Bria suspects Weston distances himself to protect her, but he doesn’t realize her “blessing” feels more like a curse, and that what she craves most—even more than him—is freedom from her Mark.

When Bria’s brother arranges her marriage to a reviled duke, a masked highwayman kidnaps her en route to the ceremony. It’s then she realizes Weston isn’t the only Null in town. Now Bria’s captor holds the key to the life she's always wanted—one that includes Weston and normalcy—if only she can convince the masked man to touch her before her luck runs out for good.

Once Charmed, Twice Cursed is a standalone, brother's-best-friend romantasy, perfect for those who wished Princess Bride had been a little bit angstier and a little bit steamier.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Retellings, Friends To Lovers

248 pages, Paperback

Published June 16, 2024

About the author

Shaylin Gandhi first fell in love with love stories when she started stealing grown-up books off her mother’s bookshelf at the age of ten. By twelve, she’d perfected the art of reading under the covers by flashlight, and in high school, she attempted her first novel. She now writes from the mountains of Golden, Colorado, where she lives with her husband and identical twin daughters. When not finagling words onto paper, Shaylin can be found hiking, scheming up ways to earn another passport stamp, or ingesting enough coffee to power a small city.

Reviews

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read: 3.75 out of 5 stars!
Second read: 3.5 out of 5 stars!
Third read (audiobook):4.5 out of 5 stars!

*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audiobook in exchange for an honest review!*

You know what? Heck yeah. *cue to that one TikTok audio*

Brother's-best-friend romantasy, perfect for those who wished Princess Bride had been a little bit angstier and a little bit steamier.

I'm kind of getting Zorro vibes too by reading the premise. Well, sounds like reading this is going to be a blast!

[Grace Btrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would suggest this book to someone who really enjoys romance and is trying to dabble in fantasy—maybe even someone in their late teens or early 20s.

I personally hoped there was more world-building and elaboration on their goddess Fortuna, and maybe an appearance of hers. At times, I also felt I was parachuted into the middle of the story. Bria and Weston have a decade-long relationship, and I wanted to have more of that behind smiles and traded books brewing love. It feels there is such a bond between them and so much passion obvious in the pages that I wanted more of it.
The story was fast-paced and took some turns I wasn’t expecting, although some other plot twists could have been written in a more mystery-thrill-inducing way. I wouldn’t have minded an additional 50 pages to add what I felt was missing from the story.

The characters were easy to understand. Their growth took time, and maybe I would have hoped Bria specifically got to her realization earlier. Knowing the background of them both living with being charmed and cursed and what life with a new identity could look like made complete sense.

[Danny_reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sad to say this, but this did not work for me like I wish it would.

Although this was definitely a quick read, I was honestly uninterested for most of the book. The concept sounded fun, but I felt like this book was just filled with 'meh' writing, missed opportunities, and spineless characters.

This idea had a lot of potential, but in the end, it just missed the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[LoveBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

╰☆☆ 𝓜𝓐𝓨𝓑𝓔 𝓦𝓔 𝓦𝓔𝓡𝓔 𝓐𝓛𝓦𝓐𝓨𝓢 𝓜𝓔𝓐𝓝𝓣 𝓣𝓞 𝓢𝓐𝓥𝓔 𝓞𝓝𝓔 𝓐𝓝𝓞𝓣𝓗𝓔𝓡. ☆☆╮

𝓣𝓡𝓞𝓟𝓔𝓢:
♥ romantasy
♥ forbidden love
♥ brother's best friend
♥ princess Bride vibes (but angsty)
♥ mutual pining
♥ friends to lovers
♥ standalone fantasy romance

𝓣𝓗𝓞𝓤𝓖𝓗𝓣𝓢:
This standalone romantasy offers a sweet, fun, and quick read with intimate world-building, focusing on the leads, Bria and Weston. Their romance is compelling, not an insta-love or slow burn, but rather about the consequences of their love. 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂, 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏, 𝒂 𝑵𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉, 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒍𝒆. Weston tries to protect Bria by maintaining a barrier between them, denying his own heart. Bria, however, persistently seeks her own path, choice, and love, refusing to be a tool for others.

The story beautifully weaves themes of love and personal agency, highlighting Bria's determination and the resilient love between her and Weston. Although some plot points could be more fleshed out, the narrative captivates and immerses readers in its world, making it a delightful, mood-lifting read perfect for one sitting.

𝓠𝓤𝓞𝓣𝓔𝓢:
❥❝I’d rather keep you here like some museum treasure no one can touch than let the duke lay a finger on you.❞

❥❝Together but apart.❞

❥❝I fell in love with you in less time than it took you to blink. Even though I knew from that first moment that I could never have you.❞

❥❝Golden flowers for my golden boy.❞

❥❝𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅-𝒐𝒏-𝒎𝒚-𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒅 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏.❞

❥❝𝑰’𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒕𝒐𝒐,❞ 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔. ❝𝑰’𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒆, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏. 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏.❞

~ I have received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ~

[Ms. Dess · Rating 3 out of 5]

GoodReads Rating: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
My Personal Rating : 2 ⭐⭐

We Have
✅M/F Romance
✅ Slow Burn
✅ Love at First Sight
✅ A little Fantasy
✅ Forced Marriage
✅ More YA than "Adult"

Wait!! Let me explain....

This was a cute story. I think the reviewers don't do this justice when they hype this up. Because they are hyping it up for the wrong crowd, this book has an adorable story that is sort of predictable but cute nonetheless.

I loved the idea this author had for the plot. This could have been written as a novella, even though its fairly short. I would have liked there to be back stories on why certain people had these tattoos and if there were other types of tattoos. Also, why did that one dude have more luck than her's? Is there a way to increase the power of her tattoo? And maybe for the HEA where she keeps hers and still helps him? I don't know.

I think booktok or maybe social made me put this on my TBR - but for Adult Fantasy lovers this isn't what you think it is. For folks new to Romantacy, this hits in all the right places... FOR ME for the types of books I like and want to read here were my issues...

🚫Nowhere near smutty enough (I'm talking 1 or 2 fairly vague scenes)
🚫Plot holes (origins and world-building)
🚫Fairly Vanilla - ok wholly Vanilla
🚫Not at all any kind of dark anything - even with the villain
🚫Not a single plot twist. I kind of predicted the book.

I'm not saying this book sucked!! LOL - I will never yuck someone's yum.... Please don't take my review that way... seriously this was adorable... however, I do enjoy reading certain types of books, tropes, kinks, and smut. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me.

[Christy Bath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS! ATE IT UP and will come back asap with full review 🖤

✨Addendum:✨

I knew from seeing the tropes/reviews in multiple book circles that ‘Once Charmed, Twice Cursed’ would be my jam and it was! Omgggg, so many cute moments! This book will linger in my mind, rent free.🥹✨♥️

OCTC is magical and whimsical with some of the BEST tropes (that I almost don't want to list all of because they’re so fun to discover while reading).

This book is a fun stand-alone romantasy that's:
♥️forbidden love (Romeo and Juliet vibey)
♥️societal difference (he is overcoming adversity)
♥️fated mates ("be mine")
♥️with a side of humor and resolution that feels very reminiscent of movies like ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘Ever After.’
♥️well written (open door) romance

I’m often reading quick, fun romance genre books, but finding a fulfilling romantasy standalone can be hard! This one is just that! I giggled, I gasped, I swooned- it had all I needed to enjoy the tale and characters. I absolutely will be reading this one again!!

[booksofabaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

🤎ARC REVIEW🤎

Rating — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format — 📖
Releases — July 16, 2024 (KU)

Read if you like —

📖Standalone, short romantasy
💔Forbidden love
👰‍♀️Princess Bride vibes
🤝Brother’s best friend

Favorite quotes —

“He’s so unapologetically, cruelly beautiful.”

“All I can ever be to you is a liability. And I’m not going to take away your safety — your future — just so I can have one, too.”

“I love you. In the permanent, branded-on-my-soul kind of way. I love you so much that I'd gladly take just half of you over the entirety of any other man."

“I fell in love with you in less time than it took you to blink. Even though I knew from that first moment that I could never have you."

My thoughts —

BOLD AS BRASS

I INHALED this book within 24 hours. That says a lot if you know anything about me and my mood-reading habits🤭

I will preface this by saying I’m still fairly new to reading fantasy, so I appreciate a solid, standalone romantasy book that doesn’t have a lot of world-building or confusing language. Because this was on the shorter side, it felt like the author opted to really focus on the characters, the conflict and building the romance rather than the universe and I definitely think that was the move. The writing style was easy to follow and kept me hooked the entire time. So addicting!!!

The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite movies and this book gave me those vibes from the very beginning and lived up to it throughout. I absolutely loved the plot, the underlying messages, the chemistry between the main characters and the tension and conflict that comes with forbidden love.

Also ALSO the intimate scenes were written so beautifully and tastefully. If I’m reading “spice” let them all be written this way. Because SHEESH.

I can’t say enough good things about this book and I’m so excited for it to be released into the world. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!! 🫶

💌 Thank you to the author and The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read from this author, I was given the ARC e-book via BookFunnel from the authors team. Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Bria Radcliffe lives in a charmed world. Like, literally.

This is a world of charmed and cursed, the goddess Fortuna can bless one with the marking of good luck. This mark is easily noticed, a tattoo mark across ones chest, and Bria is one of the lucky ones. Everywhere she goes lucky occurrences fall. This is viewed as a currency to some, like her brother, who is preparing to marry her off to the highest bidder, I mean, suitor.

Now on the other hand, some are cursed with the very opposite marking, making them a Null. Bad luck follows them everywhere and also affects those around them. Weston, her brother's best friend, is a Null. He also happens to be object of her affection.

Why can't this work? Well if a Charmed person touches a Null, both will lose their mark and deem just your average, uncharmed folks. No one will let this match happen, so her brother plans to marry Bria to a wealthy suitor. And of course, he's awful.

But lucky as always,,,instead of being married off, Bria is kidnapped by a masked man and THAT is really where the adventure begins.

This is perfect for fairytale or fantasy lovers (many compare to Princess Bride) It has some spice, so not sure I would recommend it as a YA novel, but more for the romantasy crowd. It is truly a VERY unique storyline and I highly recommend.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast and easy read. The pacing on this was great. I really enjoyed the story line of people being charmed but also cursed. I thought it was unique.

I really liked the characters. The MC and FMC were perfect for each other imo. I liked that Bria really starts to stand up for herself and stand on her own two feet.

Thank you to Shaylin for the gifted physical copy.

[Miyawakiss · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm honestly so mad, I could cry. 🤯

This book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. SO MUCH POTENTIAL. But the execution was so bad! 😭 I really liked the setup of having the Charmed living with good luck and the Null with bad luck and if they touch, it cancels each other out. But what ruined the story were the characters. 😡

My god, if I've never met more spineless characters in my life! 🤯 Usually if just one of the pair is spineless but no, the blind is leading the blind with this one because they're both hopeless cases!

Weston is too busy wallowing in self-pity, drowning in woe-me tears and prioritising the FMC's good luck that he doesn't care how it has made her suffer and how unhappy it's making her. 🤬

Bria is a damsel-in-distress who literally just WAITS to be saved. 🤯 She lets her despicable family make all the decisions and just waits for someone to get her out of the situations even though she literally can just LEAVE??? 🤦🏻‍♀️ Where is your backbone?! Have you never heard of the concept called "running away"?

Also, why did her horrible family get a redemption??? Her brother was all too happy to sell his sister to the highest bidder with no regards to her wants or happiness and her mother's first concern after her daughter went missing was her lucky stamp?? 🤬 Sure, let's give them all a redemption and live happily ever after! They should have just eloped to a different town and cut ties with the shitty family.

This book had so much potential but the horrible characters ruined it. I'm literally so disgusted with them all. 😤 1 star for the potential it had.

[Christine Manzari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick fun read. If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy to read in a day, this is the perfect choice.

[Jolie Lennon · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.8 Stars⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook! This was a fast paced, easy read throughout the book. I really enjoyed the main characters and seeing them find their way to each other throughout this book while also navigating their magic stopping each other from being together. I would definitely read from this author again! Thank you again to NetGalley for this audiobook!💕📚

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I loved this! Devoured it within 24 hours, that’s how much I loved this! 🤩😍

This was sent to me as an ARC read, I always love the opportunity to do this 🥰

Ok so the details of the storyline were so unique. I read so many books where sometimes it can feel like the same old stuff is happening, just in a slightly different way. That wasn’t the case with this!
Genuine ideas and great storyline. I won’t go into details, not going to give spoilers 😛

I love the romance in this, the tension, the plot twists and the world the author created. I was genuinely hooked from the start and didn’t want to put the book down, I had to know what happened next and how it ended!

Some 🌶️ but not loads and done tastefully.

This author most definitely did not disappoint and I look forward to reading more from her! 💝

This was an ARC I received for free and I was not paid to leave this review.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this and I almost read it one night. 😏

Low-fantasy with a simple magic system premise and great banter.

Bria, the FMC, lets fortune lead her as she is a charmed and is being married off to the highest bidder courtesy of her steward brother. The MMC Weston battles his misfortune the whole time and though the miscommunication trope threatens the edges of the plot line, the characters, pace and spice were a balanced recipe for success in this standalone.

[Tbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy and fun quick read! Loved the princess bride vibes and the forbidden romance. The premise was very unique and enjoyed the story so much.

[bella fazzati · Rating 4 out of 5]

i would give my life for weston ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I love you. In the permanent, branded-on-my-soul kind of way. I love you so much that I’d gladly take just half of you over the entirety of any other man.”


🖤Forbidden love
🖤Brothers best friend
🖤Quick Romantasy Standalone
🖤Touch her and die
🖤Princess Bride vibes
🖤HEA plus read the epilogue on her website

“Maybe we were always meant to save one another.”

“There may not be any Charms here, but I’ve been charmed twice in my life. Once when I was born, and again when I met you.”

[Stormborn Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook: 4⭐️
Book: 3⭐️

Big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the audiobook of Once Charmed, Twice Cursed—narrated by the incredibly talented Kimberly M. Wetherell.

Let me just say: the audiobook is where this story truly shines! Kimberly’s narration brings so much personality and warmth to the world of Bria and Weston. She made it super easy to get swept up in the story, and I found myself smiling at the way she brought the characters to life—especially the push and pull between a lucky charm and a Null. Their dynamic? Pure magic (and a little bit of chaos)!

As for the book itself, I enjoyed the forbidden love element and the emotional depth of Bria and Weston’s journey. The tension of not being able to touch—because his Null powers would cancel her luck—added a unique layer of angst and intensity. I was especially drawn to Bria’s arc of self-discovery, learning to embrace who she is with or without the magic.

Oh, and the spice? Just enough to keep things steamy without taking over the story—chef’s kiss!

If you’re into paranormal romance with a twist, a bit of star-crossed love, and some self-empowerment along the way, definitely give this audiobook a listen. You won’t regret it!

[Charlene (pageandplace) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the opportunity to listen 🎧 to this book about those blessed with the mark of the fortune goddess and those not. The book is narrated by Kimberly M Wetherell. She has a beautiful and calming voice and made the book very easy to listen to.

Bria is charmed, born under the favor of the fortune goddess.🤞
Weston bears the mark of the Null, those who can take it all away. ⛈️

As Bria’s brother arranged her marriage, she is captured by a masked highwayman. Bria begins to realize her blessings are more like a curse and the kidnapping may be the key to her happiness.

This was a fun read about the divinely lucky and absolutely cursed. I was so engaged with what was going to happen to the kidnapped bride, that I finished in one sitting! 💍 This was my first read by the author and she had such a refreshing story that I would absolutely pick up another book!

Thank you to author, Shaylin Gandhi, Publisher Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Nicole D Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book with a good premise. The storyline was quick and easy to digest. I read it in 2 days. The relationship was sweet but a little too obvious. It felt a little like a Princess Bride retelling. One part that bothered me was how she still doesn't eat anything for another day after being starved for like 3 days?!
But it was a short cute little romantasy with a satisfying ending.

[thisfoxreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an audio book curtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell

The story is told from the perspective of Bria Radcliffe. She’s Charmed, blessed with the mark of Fortuna, meaning she is ‘lucky’ and that luck spreads to those who spend time with her.
She’s now come to an age where her family must find her a husband. Only, Bria is not interested in the 99 proposals - there is only one man for her. Weston Wiles. But there’s one small problem, Wes has also been marked by Fortuna, but where Bria’s being her luck, Wes’ does the opposite.
The rest of the story find us in

I really enjoyed the story of romance, passion, and adventure.

I did wish there was a bit more world building throughout the story, but overall it was a fun listen.

[Tanya T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars: 3.5 Stars
Start Date: 04/16/25
Ending Date: 5/6/25
Genre:  New Adult Fantasy
Form: Audiobook
Page Count: 250 pgs.
Publishing Date: 07/16/24
Point of View: 1st person
Setting:
Content Warning: Sexual Content, Violence

My Blog: https://tanyasreading.wordpress.com/2...

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but I wish it was little but more world building and explanation on the magical system. The idea of magical system based on good or bad luck where the two can cancel the other out was really interesting, but I wish it could have been expanded on more.

I do love in this story was the friends to lovers trope being used instead of enemies to lovers. The Romantasy genre often leans heavily into enemies-to-lovers that is started to become oversaturated with that trope. So this was a nice change in pace to have two best friends fall in love. I really do love the fact that both the FMC and MMC both knew each other for 10 plus years and the fact that they were both in their mid 20's.

So I recommend this if you want:

Friends to Lovers
The Princess Bride Movie Vibes
Some Spice
Low Stakes
A Quick Read
Low on World Building and Magical System
A female lead that knows what she wants.
A male lead who embodies " Touch Her or Die" trope
Adult protagonists in their mid-20s

[elle ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

thankyou to the nerd fam for providing me with a copy of the arc!

RELEASE DATE 16TH JULY🌺

this book was such a fast read, i read it in 24 hours!
the pacing was great, it never seemed slow and was constantly keeping me intrigued. the plot is absolutely brilliant, the whole idea of having marks determine your luck is something i’ve never seen or read about before and i thoroughly enjoyed it!

i loved our mc bria & although i did enjoy her romance with weston he wasn’t my favourite, i think just because it took him so long to finally come to terms with how he felt about her and to realise that she truly wanted to be with him.

nonetheless, i think the writing was brilliant and it was such an enjoyable read! highly recommend, and would love to see future releases from this author !

[Amanda.Laurieann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
2🌶

I received an ARC from the author and The Nerd Fam in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Shaylin Gandhi's writing. She's the Goldilocks of authors for me. Her books have just the right amount of everything—setting, tension, spice, emotion—to keep me flying through the pages, and this book was no exception. I will never stop recommending her books!

[Shaylin Gandhi]

To read a bonus epilogue from ONCE CHARMED, TWICE CURSED, please visit my website and click on "Bonus Content." Thanks for reading!

[Celesté · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whyyy did she have to fight so hard for him at every turn?? It went from convincing him, to begging, REAL QUICK.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, fun, and quick read. It's the perfect choice if you want to dive into a standalone romantasy with intimate world-building. I love how quiet, contained the world is, allowing ample focus on our leads, Bria and Weston.

I loved their romance and its development. It's clear from the onset there are mutual feelings, but this isn't a romance about insta-love or even slow burn. It's about the consequence of pursuing said romance, and its effect on personal agency when it comes to one half of the couple possessing a gift of good fortune and the other possessing the very opposite. With one lingering touch the Weston, a Null, can take away all magical good fortune away from Bria. So having a barrier between them is his way to protect her from his presumed curse, even if it means constantly denying his own heart. There's a significant hurdle to overcome and I so admired how Bria never gives up on making the jump, even as Weston himself reinforces it along the way. She is always in pursuit of not only her own heart, but of her own choice. For as gifted as she seems, Bria seeks to become more than a tool to be used by others, she wants to be a woman capable of forging her own path, making her choices, and freely loving as she pleased.

I adored Bria as a heroine, endeavoring to find her happiness and agency; just as I adore the resilient love story between her and Weston.

This is such a delightful, quick read that will instantly put you in the very best of moods. There were plot points I do wish were more fully fleshed out, and I wished at times the book was longer to further develop those. Nevertheless, my attention never once waned, it was so wholly caught by the how beautifully the narrative weaved this story of love and choice. And I appreciated how this is very much a book you can read in one sitting and throughout that duration truly feel immersed within the created world. That is quite the feat to achieve!

I definitely had a good time reading this one!

Thank you so kindly Shaylin Gandhi and The Nerd Fam for this gifted arc.

[Meg (fantasybook.adventurer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Once Charmed, Twice Cursed✨

My, my, my. I just completely adored this short, angsty read!!! It flowed so well and moved so quickly that I ate it up in one day.

In a world where some are given charms of good luck and others are given curses of bad luck, we find ourselves following Bria, a charm. She is facing an arranged marriage but out of all the men who offer, the one she wants is forbidden. Because he is cursed. And not to mention, he’s never even made his move… right? Plus, her brother would never allow his best friend to propose.

Failing to achieve her dream of marrying her forbidden childhood friend, Bria is forced to marry a man who wants her only for her luck. But as she makes her way to the wedding, she is kidnapped by a handsome highway man. It seems like her luck is about to change…

Bria is used to being coddled by her good luck taking care of her. She is not bold or driven because she hasn’t had to be. But when she’s finally put in the position to make her dream come true, it was wonderful to see her work to stand in bravery against those who said she’s only worth her Mark.

Tropes you may find in OCTC are brother’s best friend, forbidden love, broody masked MMC, forced proximity, “who did this to you”, touch her and “break bones”, hidden identities, angst, pining, slow burn, spice 2.5/5, friends to lovers, simple world building, fast paced, and it’s a standalone.

This was such a wonderful read that I’m so glad I slipped in. One of those that every trope hit me and I set my TBR aside for. Light and sweet, it hit all my feels.

[Amber's Book Cave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's a super short Romantasy that is more focused on romance than fantasy. but overall I found it very enjoyable and easy to read.

The writing style is clear and easy to follow. I found the magic system super interesting. Basically, people can be born with Fortuna’s Blessing (charms) which grant them good luck throughout life, or they can be born with extremely bad luck and the ability to nullify charms. I would have liked a bit more world-building since it was a bit confusing which time period we were in. It had a regency-era feel, but then the main male character fights in fighting rings, which seemed a bit out of place (but also I don’t read too many regency era books so what do I know 😂).

Both the main female and male characters are likable, and I felt sympathetic toward their struggles with their charm and curse. I would have also liked a little more story directly involving the antagonist to really build hatred towards his character. He and his family just seemed like very distant background characters.

Thank you to Shaylin Gandhi and The Nerd Fam for providing me with a review copy! All opinions are my own 💖