Embrujada (Faeris Editorial)

Bewitched #2

by Laura Thalassa, Ana Navalón (translator)

«Ni la magia ni el tiempo pueden separarnos. Somos como las estrellas. Eternos.»

Nadie le dijo a la bruja Selene Bowers que tener un alma gemela sería tan complicado. Tampoco nadie la advirtió de que su compañero espiritual sería un antiguo hechicero vengativo que la acusaría de asesinato, que la obligaría a recordar la vida pasada que él jura que vivió y que la coaccionaría para que aceptara un pacto de matrimonio irrompible. Pero eso es justo lo que pasó la noche del baile de Samhain, cuando Selene acabó encerrada en una celda.
Después de despertarse de su hechizo, Memnón juró que descubriría por qué Selene lo había traicionado años atrás. Pero, cuando su alma gemela recupera la memoria, la verdad acaba revelando algo muy diferente. Sus propias acciones lo horrorizan y está desesperado por compensarlas, así que le ofrece a Selene lo un vínculo mágico que a ella le dará control total sobre él y su voluntad. Y Selene está lo bastante desesperada como para aceptarlo.
Pero hay otros enemigos que siguen acechando al Aquelarre del Beleño Negro, la academia de magia donde estudia Selene, y parecen estar muy interesados en nuestra protagonista. Si quiere detenerlos, va a necesitar la ayuda de Memnon. Pero asociarse con el hechicero es un asunto delicado, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que él está decidido a conquistarla. Y eso no puede pasar... porque el vínculo que lo controla se romperá en cuanto ella se enamore de él.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Witches, Paranormal, Magic, Enemies To Lovers

543 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2024

About the author

Found in the forest when she was young, Laura Thalassa was raised by fairies, kidnapped by werewolves, and given over to vampires as repayment for a hundred year debt. She’s been brought back to life twice, and, with a single kiss, she woke her true love from eternal sleep. She now lives happily ever after with her undead prince in a castle in the woods.

… or something like that anyway.

When not writing, Laura can be found scarfing down guacamole, hoarding chocolate for the apocalypse, or curled up on the couch with a good book.

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Reviews

[jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

hmmm. on the fence about this one.

i like that this is hits the spot for a “turn your brain off and enjoy” kind of mood read. the writing is still very bingeable and i do think this installment is better than the first in terms of providing more answers than questions. i liked how, with most of the information accessible to the characters (and, therefore, the reader), the plot seems like it could progress more naturally.

the thing is, this a bit too long-winded for a sequel. theres a lot of filler and the action scenes are repetitive (selene is separated from memnon, she is in trouble and has to fight her way out of it, memnon shows up and finishes the job etc etc). i also feel like selene fell victim to a “bella swan” kind of syndrome (incompetent naïveté) at times, which i didnt necessarily enjoy.

so while not a terrible book, im not exactly compelled to want to continue the series. i guess i will see how i feel when the next book comes out.

↠ 3 stars

[spring ~♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

can Memnon grovel a little in this book? please and thank you.

edit: meh, the angst didn't angst the way it was suppose to angst.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series, and I liked it better than the first book. That doesn’t happen everyday. I will say this one does start off a little rushed and clunky with an oath that feels like it comes out of nowhere. But after that it gets a lot better. There’s an appropriate level of groveling! There’s some really villainous villains! There’s romance! I definitely recommend checking this series out…for now anyways 😉 (I’m reserving final judgment for the final book)

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley but this didn’t impact my review/rating.

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buddy read with El <3

im genuinely convinced that we cursed ourselves el because man the way we were so sure we'd love this😭

but seriously what in the hell was this mess of a book?? i genuinely cant believe what i just read after how much i ADORED bewitched. it was literally in my top 5 favourites last year??? im baffled at how bad this went

one of my main issues with this book was just how uncomfortable it made me in SO many things. the #1 being *that* bond between memnon and selene.... (not a spoiler it's in the synopsis)

no you cannot convince in any way shape or form that it was "okay". from the moment it was formed and then right away selene tests it out by telling memnon to stab her in the heart especially knowing how he feels like what??? and thats only the beginning because the thoughts she has and what she tells him about how she has control over what she can make him do genuinely made me disgusted. it literally turned me off from every romantic scene in this book because i couldnt root for it at all. also selene kept saying she felt guilty every time she commanded something of memnon but then she kept doing it?? lol clearly you dont then. and the author constantly tries making it seem its okay by having memnon constantly repeat that he's the one who asked for this, and he wants it as a way to prove himself and earn selene's trust and yeah thats good and all but i dont know, personally even if someone told me they were good with that, id still never make a single command that would take away their free will like you really cant convince me otherwise that it's morally okay since the other agreed to it! nope!

otherwise selene's character turned a complete 180 for me in terms of likableness... if you ignore the previous paragraph, there was still the fact that she constantly made the most idiotic decisions in history that couldve SO easily been avoided. im all for characters making mistakes since i mean we're all human, but im sorry there's only so much patience i can have for a character until im genuinely wondering??? just why???? its the same mistake constantly and im wondering did you really not learn anything from the previous 92357826 times?? what happened to logic??? there's being optimistic and there's being stupid, you can have one without the other.

in terms of memnon, honestly i dont really have much to say. yeah he had some sweet gestures but it felt as though he was too reduced to his character just loving selene and thats it lol.

and what in the joke of an "explanation" was that for the reason why selene said at the end of book 1 that "she's woken up a monster" OH WAIT there WASNT an explanation!!! here i was thinking he did something horrible in the past but no??? he did nothing??? it was only what he did afterwards accusing selene of cursing him and yeah i get why she was mad but having full control of his will is not it i dont care what excuse you give but literally im genuinely so confused on that part, i would almost say maybe i was imagining that she did fear his awakening but NO because i literally JUST REREAD BEWITCHED SO NO IM NOT IMAGINING IT LOL

anyways. you could literally skip everything in between 30% to 70% and you wouldnt miss a single thing. (actually what the actual hell was the point of the witch's brew scene??? ive never felt more uncomfortable just why) i was bored to death and had to force myself to push through. also i didn't see the point in kane being there at all lol like why was he still there actually? it seemed to me that he existed solely just to be annoying trying to win selene's heart (even after she's told him repeatedly she has a soul mate????) also i dont get whats the big deal about the ending?😭 am i missing something?? so he's now the successor of the fortuna's company? okay and?? isnt that good so now there can be no more trafficking? selene is acting betrayed though...

edit: nvm i dropped it to 1 the only reason why this doesnt get less than 2 stars is because the end wasnt boring at least (although at that point i just wanted to be done, i skimmed so much) but uh yeah to say this was a disappointment is an understatement, i dont even know if i want to read book 3 but oh well time will tell...


Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
_____________________

UM THAT SYNOPSIS?????? ALSO WTH WAS THAT TEASER THAT WAS CRUEL😭😭 to end it off RIGHT at the part that everyone wants more of LIKE COME ON WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT DID MEMNON DO WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT HORRIBLE FATE WAS SELENE TRYING TO SAVE MEMNON FROM I NEED ANSWERS sdjhgksh dying for this to release. i need to be reunited with memnon and selene🥹

(teaser: https://culturess.com/2023/12/08/see-...)

[liz ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

➸ 3 stars

₊˚⊹ “We are eternal.” ⊹˚₊

this book was so much better than the first one in my opinion! I was honestly really engaged in the story and got answers to all my unanswered questions from book one. there was a lot of action that kept me turning the page and the plot was more existent in this one! I still couldn’t get past the cringe writing/dialogue though, so 3 stars it is!

I came to tolerate the fmc in this book and she definitely annoyed me less! I also adore her friendship with sybil so much!!!

₊˚⊹ “I am yours, forever.” ⊹˚₊

I absolutely hated the mmc in the first book but he did redeem himself a bit in this one and I started to like him slightly more! I am also loving their relationship so far they definitely have their cute moments!!

after the plot twist towards the end and the last chapter, I can definitely say I’ll be reading the next book! I’m excited to see how this plays out…

⊹˚₊‧─────────‧₊˚⊹˚₊‧ ─────────‧₊˚⊹

𓍢ִ໋˖ 🌿 pre-read ⊹𖧧 ࣪ - as much as I disliked the first book, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to see how this continued, memnon better grovel.

[ariyel ୭ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! ☆┆first read: 4!
⤿ major spoilers ﹒⟢

wow rereading this was actually the worst idea i’ve had all year. i thought after the prequel—which i’m still obsessed with—this would work even better. like maybe i’d appreciate the story more or find new things to love. nope. it just made me hate selene more. and now i’m mad. because i liked this book. this was the one that worked for me. now i don’t even know what i saw in it.

selene is genuinely insufferable. i don’t know how i didn’t notice it this much the first time, but every decision she makes is pure chaos. she keeps throwing herself into impossible situations, constantly trying to do the right thing but making everything worse. and the worst part is she never learns. she’s reckless, dramatic, somehow both arrogant and useless, and it’s actually insane how much i love roxilana and hate selene. they’re literally the same soul and yet feel like completely different people.

memnon still carries. he’s the only reason this book didn’t fall apart completely. the bond is such a cool idea—he gives her full control, but it’ll break the second she falls in love with him—and there are some good scenes between them. but even that didn’t land the same this time. he’s handing her everything, and she’s out here stumbling through magic and getting tricked by people in her own house. like girl. get a grip.

this reread honestly just ruined whatever goodwill i had for the series. it’s still better than book one, but the plot feels messier now, the mystery didn’t work, and every emotional moment just annoyed me. maybe it’s my fault for going back. maybe this only works when you don’t think too hard. either way, it’s too late now. i reread it. and i regret everything.

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝

right from the start, this one had me way more invested than the first book. bewitched took its time, but here? the story jumps right in, and i was hooked from the beginning. sure, there’s still some stuff that could’ve been done better, but the cringey parts didn’t throw me off as much this time.

selene’s still out here making reckless, wild decisions left and right, and while she does grow a little toward the end, most of the book is her just charging headfirst into chaos. she’s learning, but she’s just as impulsive, which kept things entertaining—and frustrating—in equal parts. despite all that, i actually liked her a lot more here. maybe it’s because we’re finally starting to see more layers to her.

memnon, though, was hands down the best part of this book. he’s intense and powerful, but the way he’s so all-in for selene just makes him fun to read. he treats her like she’s his whole world, and it’s clear he’d do anything for her. there’s something about him that makes every scene he’s in feel bigger, and honestly, he’s the one that kept me hooked.

the whole past life thing makes their relationship way more interesting. selene’s memories keep pulling her back to memnon, but it’s complicated—she’s stuck between remembering how much she loved him and dealing with all the messed up things he’s done. it’s this constant back and forth, with one moment reminding her why she cared and the next leaving her furious. that tension made every moment between them feel charged, and it was definitely one of the best parts.

some of the plot points, though, still felt super random. the murder mystery from the last book finally gets some answers, but the way it all went down didn’t sit right. it’s like things kept getting added in with zero setup, so some twists felt more convenient than shocking. was it interesting? sure. but did it make sense? not really.

and that ending… memnon taking over the fortuna family’s business was a twist, but i’m not exactly sure why kane and selene see it as such a huge issue. maybe i’m missing something, but i am curious to see where it all leads. can’t wait for the next book to drop because i need to know what happens next.


━━━━ ⊱⋆⊰ ━━━━


☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱

ok yeah book one reread didn’t change anything but this was the one i liked anyway so i’m clinging to that. don’t fail me now pls i’m fragile 🫠

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝

wasn’t totally feeling the last one at first, but it got good eventually. hoping this one delivers from the start


bewitched
⌗﹒ 01 bewitched — 3.25 ☆
⌗﹒ 02 bespelled — 3.5 ☆
⌗﹒ 2.5 the curse that binds — 5 ☆
⌗﹒ 03 untitled — ?? ☆

[Bailee Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!!

For what it was, this book was perfection. The VIBESSS! SO GOOD and SO FUN. Honestly enjoyed this one more than I did Bewitched!

Witches, shifters, sorcerers, ancient curses and a love that lasts through time? Bet.

Did I see one of the plot twists coming? Yes. Did I care that I saw it coming? Absolutely not.

Memon just keeps getting BETTER AND BETTER! The way that man is relentless in his love for Selene, ahhh, I swoon! Selene really stepped into her own in this book and I enjoyed her so much as a character.
I’m anxious to see what’s about to happen in book 3, shits about to go down.

Also found out that we’re getting a prequel next?? IM SO EXCITED. I’ve never wanted a prequel more!

[toointofiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Call me a monster, call me a devil, but you and I both know I will fucking shatter the rules for you.” He stares at me fervently. “Always for you.”

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I am officially obsessed with this series. The plot thickened so much you couldn’t cut it with a machete. It took a turn I didn’t see coming and I couldn’t be more excited for book three. Besides, the lore has expanded further in this book in a way I also didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to read what else Laura Thalassa will come up with. What’s more, as expected the dialogue was incredibly cringe for most of the book. Don’t get me wrong, it was hilarious but there were moments when I genuinely thought the sentences could be phrased differently.

Furthermore, Selene didn’t have as much character development as I thought she would. She came to terms with having all her memories back, including the ones of her past life, and the fact that her memory would no longer be affected by the use of her magic. She also acknowledged her feelings for Memnon, although their relationship isn’t out of the woods yet. From the looks of it, however, there’s much to be developed in book three. Fingers crossed she fully accepts Memnon’s dark side and joins him. I love a morally gray couple and I would definitely love this as her character arc.

Similarly, Memnon’s character arc doesn’t develop much either. Other than feeling remorse over some of his actions in the last book, he steadily remains he truest villainous self. Regardless, he is still such a baby girl when it comes to Selene. Sure, he did some pretty messed up things to her in the first book (nothing in a dark romance level, I assure you) which pissed me off even more than Selene, but the way he repented more than made up for it. I completely forgave him. Also, he’s stupidly hot and charming so it wasn’t really that hard.

In addition, as I’ve already mentioned, Selene and Memnon’s relationship isn’t out of the woods yet. The tension between them reached a point where neither of them, especially Selene, couldn’t ignore anymore. Their breaking point was delightful, by the way. Regardless, there are still issues to work through, particularly Selene’s inability to accept Memnon as he is, and him adamantly refusing to change. I wonder who will win. The feminist in me wants Selene to prevail and make Memnon her bitch, but the darkness in me wants them both to become the villains of my heart and take over the world. I just love a morally gray couple that’s obsessed with one another.

Lastly, Nero, Selene’s familiar, is still my favorite secondary character. That will never change. He is still the same grumpy, adorable, and loyal oversized cat he has ever been and the only character who doesn’t need an ounce of development. He is perfect the way he is. As for the other characters, Sybil, Selene’s best friend, had a touch of character development in this book, but it became abundantly clear that she isn’t significant enough in the story to warrant any more than that. She definitely didn’t appear enough to allow that. I do hope that I’m wrong, though, because I still like her a lot, in spite of her lack of presence in the book. Similarly, Kane, the blue-balled werewolf, remains blue-balled. Honestly, it’s so funny I can’t stop talking about it. Despite his persistent and kind of irritating feelings for Selene (you’re never gonna get her, buddy, get it through your head), as well as his hatred for Memnon, he clearly means well and helps as much as he can. I’m kind of hoping he and Memnon will form a reluctant bromance in the next book, but I doubt it will happen.

[Zeph rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG LAURA THALASSA REMOVE YOURSELF

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“I love you,” he breathes against my skin. “I love you, I love you, I love you. A thousand lives wouldn’t be enough with you, but I have to content myself with just this one.”

Oh my god.

This was even better than Book One. The characters, the romance, the plot — all of it was so good, I ate up every second of it, literally.

First things first… can Roxi/Selene be my spirit animal, please? I need someone like her in my life. I love when women are just complete badasses. Every moment with her brought me so much unfiltered joy — she’s so real and honestly so relatable.

I’m so glad we got a glimpse into her and Memnon’s shared history because it really explained a lot, but not too much that it took away from the prequel (which I’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet 👀). It added so much depth to their relationship.

The romance? 10/10 again. Mostly Memnon being a lovesick fool — but he does it so well. Petition for Memnon to whisper sweet nothings into my ear when?

Honestly, I’m baffled as to why these two aren’t talked about more. The tension, the chemistry, the romance — all of it had me absolutely flustered. It just keeps getting better and better with these two.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“Good night, wife,” he murmurs. “Former wife,” I whisper, correcting him. “Future wife,” he corrects me.”

I’m really interested to see where this story leads! It ended on a minor cliffhanger, but honestly, I’m not mad about it. I just need Laura to announce the next book stat.

She did everything so well — it was exactly what I wanted. It’s not overly complicated, which makes it the perfect kind of book to just turn off your brain and enjoy. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need: a story that lets you relax and not overanalyze every detail.

It was just so good. Definitely recommend this series if you’re looking for something fun, easy to get into, and completely addictive.

[Heathers_readss · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Bespelled we get A LOTTTT of grovelling from the wicked warlock 😏😏 along with Selene stepping into her bad ass powers and finding her confidence.

The plot is giving everything I ever wanted from book 2, we have drama drama drama, lots of action, adventure, fights, steamy make ups, and we get a full background history of Selenes past life and the circumstances that tore her and Memnom apart for 2000 years.

I was soooo excited for book 2 in this series, I absolutely loved bewitched, the strong determined FMC and the smoking hot bad boy Memnom “little witch” ughhh give me strength 🤤🤤 swoon worthy, say less.

I find the FMC so entertaining with her inner thought process, I find the stuff she comes out with so funny I end up laughing out loud. You can definitely say I’m obsessed with these characters.

I also think it’s a relatively unique plot for a fantasy series, we’ve definitely done a lot of the “a court of” “a kingdom of” type series, so I found different aspects of the storyline to be set apart from others in the genre and giving me something new to work with.

I absolutely recommend this series it’s a definite must read for me! Enjoy the ride and watch you don’t burn your mind on the steamy spice chapters 🤣

Thank you to Laura Thalassa, Sourcebooks bloom books and NetGalley for the EARC.

Publish date; May 28th

[Andrea | andrea.c.lowry.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thing: Why have I not been seeing this series all over Bookstagram yet? Where is the hype? Because these books deserve and need the hype!

What appealed to you the most in these books?

“I’m going to get eaten and then shit out by this ferocious hellcat, and no one is ever going to know what happened to me.”

EVERYTHING!! From the very beginning both books had me under their spell with nonstop drama, suspense, action, off the charts tension and sexual frustration, banter, and oh so much more! However, the pule pounding plot is what kept me up late at night reading (and maybe also the whole; when are they going to finally get it on).

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

Reading Books😜
Soul Mates
Second Chance
Cool Familiar
Magic
Touch Her and Die
Morally Grey Characters
Angst
Spicy Yumminess
Romantasy
Danger & Suspense

How was the romance?

Get ready for some slow burn romancing! Selene and Memon’s dark and sexy history literally has steam coming off the pages with their tension, and I was there for all their snarky banter too.

I was also surprised by how much I adored Memon, since he is a dark, slightly unhinged and manipulative sorcerer. Won’t lie, kinda concerned what this says about me. I’ll just blame it on perimenopause like I do everything else.

🔥Steam level: Open door

How was the pace?

Both these books are chunkers, but I flew through them at warp speed! I read book one in less than 24 hours and would have done the same with book two if my darn life didn’t keep getting in the way.

Do you recommend this series?

Y’all, this is the perfect series to get yourself hooked on this summer, so grab both books NOW!

Oh, and I already went and started binging The Four Horsemen series from Thalassa and it is freaking good too!! So maybe we should just all get everything she has written and have some fantastic reading for the whole summer.

Thank you, Bloom Books for these gifted copies in exchange for my honest opinions.

[SHOMPA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, after finishing the second book, I'm not sure if I want to keep going with this series. It had so much potential, but by the end, it felt like they just stretched the story out on purpose to fill two or three books. And those cringey smut scenes? Yeah, that didn’t help either

[hailey&#x1f940;&#x1f9a2;✮˖°. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

unsure of when the switch happened and i suddenly got on board, but i liked this sm more than bewitched! it still has its flaws, but they didn’t bother me as much this time. memnon!!!! i’m kind of obsessed with him now. just a little. and though selene still annoyed me at times, she grew on me a little. this is one of those romantasys that shouldn’t be taken too seriously and you’re reading it mostly for vibes. i’ll most likely continue on w the series when the next book (and novella) are released! (maybe)

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ Bespelled did not disappoint! The story continues with Selene recovering her memories of Roxilana and coming into her own! Memnon is wrapped around her finger but remains a little unhinged :). Loved the murder mystery, secret bonds, shifters, the plot twists! The ending was so action packed and I couldn’t have ran through it faster! The last few pages threw me for a loop! Now we’re about to walk into a wedding after that info and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5

Thanks to NetGalley and bloom books for the arc.

My review got deleted after 20 minutes of writing. So I’m pissed off.

This book was awful, and a less than stellar sequel to bewitched, which was a favourite of mine last year.

Selene loses all edge she has to her character after her main adversity in book 1 is removed. She is stupid and does foolish things the whole book, never thinks, and acts immature 24/7, never wondering why she keeps getting into awful situations.

Memnon is reduced to just loving Selene and having no personality of his own.

The romance is shitty. Selene has control over Memnon’s will and implies she can control him sexually more than once. This is very non consensual and gross that she would think such a thing, let alone say it. This leads to lots of rather odd smutty scenes where the line between consent and non consent blurs at times because she can make him do whatever anyways.

The plot doesn’t come in until 70% through, by which is goes at a very fast pace to make up for its lack of presence at the beginning. The plot lacked a sense of urgency and had no twists at all.

The character of Kane was very stupid. He tries to get Selene to love him after multiple rejections and always tries to undermine her relationship with Memnon. He is disrespectful and always looking for a way to make her see how bad Memnon is so he can claim her himself.

The cliffhanger is laughably boring. I literally said ‘who cares?’ After reading it. The implications are next to zero and they provide 0 clues as to what a third book could even entail. So Memnon has a company now. Who cares???

All in all, this was a lacklustre sequel that left much to be desired.

[Kylieisreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bespelled completely surpassed all of my expectations. I can’t even put into words how magical this book was. Memnon grovels A LOT but still has the same temper and humor. Selene is all of the cunning independent witch she’s always been but with her memories back she is a force to be reckoned with. The fantasy and magical elements are upped in this as well as the stakes which will have you flipping the pages at rapid speed!! This did have a darker element compared to the first and i absolutely LOVED it. I can’t wait for the next in the series!!

“Cities can burn and centuries can pass and none of it means anything to me with you”

[Koisty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Est Xsaya Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level 🌶️🌶️.5/5

I think I love this one a lot more than Bewitched because a lot of the unanswered aspects that were left dangling at the end of Bewitched are explored more in this book. Now you would think a sequel should do this? However I felt there were too many unanswered questions at the end of Bewitched, so I appreciated that these were resolved.

Please note this is Book 2 in a series that cannot be read as a standalone. As a result, there might be spoilers for Book 1 - so if you do not want to see those, I might advise not reading the rest of the review - I strongly suggest you read the review from Book 1 first and come back here after you have read the first installment of Selene and Memnon's story. Book 1's Review can be found here

And this starts almost directly after the events of Book One. Seline now has all her memories of Roxilana in her mind and can remember everything about her current life and her previous life with Memnon. We have a multitude of reveals and aspects uncovered (as mentioned), two exciting ones being the weird conundrum of how Selene is two people and who put Memnon to sleep. I really enjoyed being shown elements of their past together and how their love for each other truly is as he says...eternal.

Their present relationship also deepens, as the two are still thrown into the mystery of the murders and secret cult that tried to kill her. This is action packed and believe me when I say you are going to be sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your nails at the tension and twists and turns. We are also given more of the world-building in this and slightly more insight into Witchy Lore.

Seline while still being slightly TSTL as she still winds up in ridiculous situations, does turn into a badass once she remembers who Roxilana is. She can balance her past feelings for Memnon while still coming into her new self as Selene who does not forget. She is feisty and pushes boundaries and continues to challenge things that are not right. I love how she came out as a character and grew in her strength, her power and her confidence giving her the ability to achieve whatever she sets her mind to.

Memnon continues to be walking sex on Legs. He oozes sex appeal and power. He is just as dangerous and sexually appealing as he was in book one, and if not exponentially more as we are shown various instances of the extremes of his power. I also love that he will literally burn the world down for Selene and will do anything and everything within his control and power to ensure she is safe, protected and has whatever she needs.

The spice in this is also upgraded in heat as these two steam up the pages with their unmeasurable attraction and pull towards each other.

Trope Summary:
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Ancient Curses, Secrets and Reveals
▶ Paranormal Races (Witches, Werewolves Etc)
▶ Touch her and Die
▶ Sassy Animal familiars
▶ Soul Mates
▶ Love Triangle
▶ Mine
▶ Burn the World for You

Ultimately I highly recommend this book and series... I mean who wouldn't love soul mates, sassy familiars, curses and eternal love!

Thank you NetGalley, Laura Thalassa and Bloom Books for the gifted ARC Copy
All thoughts and opinions are my own

[༻rach༺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars! So close to 5, but the beginning felt kind of slow to me. I really liked how we got to understand more of Selene’s power in this. Her connection to the Hungering Ones is one of the most interesting parts of this book and every time she uses dark magic I’m like “yes queen!!!”. The scenes of her torture were brutal, but written so well and the pain and agony she experienced was so visceral. Selene grew a lot in this book and I loved watching her come into her own.

Memnon…. Oh Memnon. I love this man but he is conniving as hell. He is absolutely morally grey. Honestly, I was surprised by the twist at the end of this book. This man wants to rule empires and have power, and he will do anything to achieve that. It makes me nervous for the next book, especially with how his power was controlling him to harm their allies at the end. What we do know is that he loves Selene above all else, but I do wonder how she’s going to react to the twist in the next book. He truly was so supportive and wonderful in this book though. The connection he has with Nero truly made me cry as well.

Oh sweet baby Nero!!! When we almost lost him I was sobbing. He was one of the highlights of this book for me and if anything I just wanted more of him. I get that Selene didn’t want him to be in danger but I hope we get more of him next book.

Overall, this book was fun, spicy, tragic, gory, brutal, and heartbreaking. I really love these characters and this storyline and it really took me by surprise. I hope the next book comes out soon! 🖤🩸🗡️✨

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 ⭐️

I think I just struggled connecting to the plot and characters. Still glad I read it and will read book 3 when it comes out but I think some more character development would have been good and honestly I loved Kane more then Memnon so I hope they get together in book 3!!

[Toribetweenpages · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most fantasy witchy romance x contemporary millionaire mashup we never knew we needed but are so grateful for

If you’re looking for:
• SPICY 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
• unhinged and unserious
• atmospheric witchy academy with werewolves

This is your series

[❀ maria ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

after being more or less disappointed with bewitched, I was hoping for a better developed story, in terms of both plot and characters. and this book delivered!

Laura Thalassa is excellent at writing villainous men which are insanely romantic with their MCs, and Memnon’s character arc is incredibly satisfying in this book. he stepped up and showed up for Selene every step of the way, and my heart melted alongside hers! I also appreciated that Selene’s friend, Sybil, took on a more active role in this book and contributed to driving the plot forward.

regarding the plot, I was surprised with the direction this book took by touching on sensitive subjects, such as supernatural trafficking. it was a heartbreaking development in the story that was handled really well in my opinion.

I can’t wait to read the next book, and my only hope is that we get to see Memnon and Selene as a solid, united front - please, no more obstacles!

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 

Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Bespelled is the second book in the Bewitched series.  This is the second chance love story (mostly) of Selene Bowers, a pretty powerful witch and Memnon, the man she cursed to sleep for two thousand years in her last life.  They are soulmates, bound to each other through space and time, but that doesn't mean it is going to be smooth sailing for them.  Especially since Memnon is pissed he was placed in stasis for two millennia and can't wait to get his revenge, even if that revenge is on his soulmate.

When we left our characters at the end of Bewitched, Selene has tapped into the memories of her past life and she now knows what happened and why she put Memnon to sleep.  He is dangerous and brutal and a conqueror from a different time.  But he is learning all of the rules of this new metal jungle and he is starting to make some plays to put himself back in power.  He loves Selene, but it is complicated by the betrayal he believes she perpetrated on him in her past life.  But, what if there were good reasons, what if he made a mistake?  How will he earn back the trust of the woman he is bound to through the ages so they might build a life together.

Meanwhile, witches and other magic welding creatures are dying in brutal ways and Selene wants to get to the bottom of it.  Not just to protect herself but to also save some of her new found friends in the coven.  Memnon will use all of his influence and newfound power to help the woman he loves and earn back some of the trust broken between them.  God help any who harm or go after his mate, he will make them all pay.  The stakes are high and no one is to be trusted.

“Call me a monster, call me a devil, but you and I both know I will fucking shatter the rules for you .” He stares at me fervently. “Always for you.”

I liked this story better than Bewitched, we get to see some of Selene's past life that really added credence to her power.  She is growing into the sorceresses she is meant to be, even if she is unsure about the man she is fated to be with.  I adore Memnon's character.  He is not a nice guy; he is dangerous but unfailing loyal to those he calls family.  He is also so tricky; it was fun to watch how he slowly lulls Selene back into his bed and finds ways to get into her heart as well.  He is a predator and will be patient until it is the right moment to pounce and win his prey.  He remembers the fierce warrior Selene used to be in her last life and knows she is going to need to find that woman warrior if they are going to survive against their enemies.

There were so many danger filled and tense moments in Bespelled, I was on the edge of seat though all of them.  The danger always felt right around the corner.  There are plenty of sexy times though to enjoy between the bouts of certain death.  The jump to Memnon and Selene's previous life added a lot of context the story and fleshed out our characters well.  I sometimes got a little frustrated with Selene's refusal of their soulmate bond, but it did help to build some of the sexual tension between them.

Memnon, I'm sure, still has plenty of secrets and even though they have tracked down some of the bad doers, there are more out there to be found and an enemy from their past to thwart still.  I'm very interested to see what Laura Thalassa brings to the series next.  She has written "bad men" very well in the past and I'm so excited to see what our unapologetic warlord is going to do in the modern world to take the power he craves.

“Is this where you stab me and free yourself once and for all?” he says in Sarmatian.

“Because,” he continues slowly, his eyes smoldering , “I promise you, if you don’t, I will work to tie you so fucking tight to me you won’t eventually know where you end and I begin.”

[Bookishness · Rating 4 out of 5]

The obsession, love, devotion for 2000 years! They met again in another lifetime! The story is beautiful about 2 soul mates reunited! ! I did mention in my last review that Memnon is not afraid to be the villain for his Queen, and I stay true to that statement!!
“Call me a monster, call me a devil, but you and I both know I will fucking shatter the rules for you.” He stares at me fervently. “Always for you.”

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You are a Sarmatian queen, made to roam the boundless, open plains of the steppe. Your soul is made of vaster stuff."

I might have loved this even more than the first book. Selene and Memnon are such fun characters to follow! The stakes feel ever higher as Selene's feelings for Memnon develop (return?), plus we got a ton of backstory in this installment that made me cherish their relationship so much more.

"There is one thing I hold holy in all this gods-forsaken world," Memnon says. Goosebumps break out along my skin. His voice still has that unsettling otherness to it. "And you hurt her."

Also... Memnon is about to give Pestilence a run for his money for the champion title of my favorite Laura Thalassa love interest 😍

"Cities can burn and centuries can pass and none of it means anything to me without you. So stay safe, my queen. And remember—stab first, ask questions later."

✨ Content warnings for: violence, blood, murder, torture, minor gore, war, betrayal, self-harm for magical purposes, kidnapping, imprisonment, miscarriage, grief, minor dub-con, brief sexual harassment, animal injury/torture (no death), trafficking

Buddy read with Misty!

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[shaelinslibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a whirlwind, holy moly. I really ended up liking this more than I thought I would.

Thank GOD we got some groveling from Memnon in this book, that was much needed. I am a little nervous for book 3, because we have some ‘splainin’ to do. But, overall, this was fun.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy read with fun characters and a pretty digestible plot, I say this series will do that for you! This book was a bit more serious than book 1, but I think it was quite a fun ride.

We’ve got a murder mystery, witches, sorcerers, shifters, an academic setting (more in the first book) and reluctant allies to lovers. So much fun! I think this is about a 4.5 star book for me, strictly because of vibes.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was just as addictive and entertaining as book 1! they’re so obsessed with each other and i love it 🥰 plus the mmc did some major grovelling, which is always appreciated. i also loved the glimpses of their past life!!

i just wish the author would quit with the cliffhangers, this one seemed so unnecessary 😭

[Maddie Vaters · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️
If there’s one thing Laura Thalassa is going to do, it’s write a fantasy series that I’m obsessed with. I was so hooked after reading Bewitched I could not WAIT for the sequel to come out, so getting to read an ARC was a dream come true💕 This book was a great follow up and had so many of the things I love in it. I am literally the biggest sucker in the world for a fictional man who grovels and Memnon was working 9-5 trying to make it up to Selene. Also Laura Thalassa remains the queen of romantasy banter! It always adds such a fun lightness to her books that makes me devour them every time. So you could say I was a VERY happy camper. I loved how this was a bit of a slower burn too, I want all of the angst🤭 There’s definitely some aspects of the world that I am still a little fuzzy on. Specifically the whole re-incarnation aspect and how certain characters are able to live for millennia?! But at the same time I’m obsessed with that storyline and am happy to live in ignorant bliss😊 The only thing I wish was different in this book, was how Selene was once she retained the memories of her past life. It seemed like she wasn’t that affected by it, and let’s be real if that was me I would literally would be freaking the f*ck out. Even so this didn’t really affect the story and I obviously enjoyed it still! Overall this was a great sequel that had lots of grovelling, protective hunky sorcerers, and witty banter.

A big thank you to Bloom Books for sending the ARC for review!💖

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was disappointing.
I thought maybe this one would be better than the first, and we would find out more details, and friendships/relationships would blossom, but nope.
Every single time Selene finds herself in trouble, Memnon is always too late.
Every. damn. time.
After all the shit he did, there definitely wasn't enough groveling and begging from him.
I'm glad Selene came into her power and realized she is a bad bitch, but damn, when will she catch a break?
Unfortunately, these books didn't suck me in enough, and I won't be continuing the series.

[Mariana Magrani · Rating 3 out of 5]

É 3.5 okay. Ai nem quero falar muito pra não desanimar ninguem, mas gostei mais do primeiro… eu vim pra esse cheia de expectativa e foi bem ok. O conflito central do livro arrastou tanto que eu ja não aguentava mais a mesma dinâmica. Selene apesar de ter pego as memorias de volta, parece que não adiantou de nada pq ela parecia que era outra pessoa e não a antiga. Queria ver mais da Roxilana, acredito q a autora não colocou nesse pq ela ta terminando o livro do prequel mas enfim. Eu tava mais interessada no imperio romano do que na faculdade🫠 não achei ruim mas tô um pouco frustrada. Dito isso, Memnon the Cursed, as coisas q saem da boca desse indivíduo 🤤🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 um moreno que é devoto à sua mulher e deita pra ela pisar mas não é banana. Não sei se expliquei direito. Obrigada Memnon, por carregar esse livro nas costas. Quando acabou me deu alívio. Vou ler o proximo mas agora vou sem expectativa pq sinceramente….