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Garden of the Cursed #2
Masquerade of the Heart
Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society , all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother's disappearance. T his edge-of-your-seat duology finale is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars , These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron .
Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she’ll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be.
Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she’s willing to pay for the truth.
“ Nothing short of genius .” —Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #1 New York Times -bestselling author of The Inheritance Games series, on Garden of the Cursed
" A delicious read full of swoony romance ." —Tricia Levenseller, New York Times– bestselling author of Blade of Secrets , on Garden of the Cursed
Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she’ll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be.
Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she’s willing to pay for the truth.
“ Nothing short of genius .” —Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #1 New York Times -bestselling author of The Inheritance Games series, on Garden of the Cursed
" A delicious read full of swoony romance ." —Tricia Levenseller, New York Times– bestselling author of Blade of Secrets , on Garden of the Cursed
373 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2024
60 people are currently reading
2162 people want to read
About the author
Katy Rose Pool
7 books1,184 followersKaty is a writer living in Berkeley, California. She grew up in Los Angeles, where her screenwriter father taught her about three act structure, characterization, and inciting incidents all before she could tie her shoes. Katy studied history and English at UC Berkeley. She enjoys breakfast sandwiches, fancy cocktails, rooting for the Golden State Warriors, and books that set her on fire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
November 24, 2024
Happy release day!
June 13, 2024
happy pride month to my boy swift
August 8, 2024
Ughhh this year for finale of anticipated series is killing me :(.
2.5 ⭐️
I'm sad that this one ended up being a disappointing read for me. The first book was one of my favorite reads of 2023. This second book was my most anticipated read for this year. I loved the first ones charm with the characters, world building, and romance. I had found it to be unique and absolutely loved Adrius and Marlow dynamics/relationship.
I'm not sure what the decision making process was to make this duology versus a trilogy. I think many of my next comments regarding what didn't work in this second book could be related to this being two books. Trying to force everything into this one book.
I noticed right away the pacing of the book was off. We left first book with Marlow breaking Adrius trust. It was very significant thing that she did that impacted his consent and autonomy. I was expecting in this second book there would a period of her rebuilding his trust for her and vice versa as he also broke hers the year before. That didn't really seem to ever be discussed and it just never really happened. I'm also really surprised to see the main topic of what was going on with Adrius was just simply tied up in a neat bow and just felt very like it didn't matter at all.
I think my biggest disappointment was the romance between Marlow and Adrius. The charm and chemistry just disappeared. I didn't understand their motives anymore or felt their feelings were genuine. It felt like we missed an entire book leading up to this.
Circling back I really wished this was either a longer second book or trilogy. The pacing seemed to be rushed to tie up all the plot lines. It would have been great to have the second book to truly resolve the first main curse, Adrius/Marlow work thru their trust issues with eachother, and get more information regarding the five families motives/goals.
Although I'm disappointed am really grateful for getting a chance to read these two books thru NetGalley. I don't think I would have discovered Katy Rose Pool for awhile otherwise. I'm very interested in reading more from her. I absolutely adored that first book. The romance and magic system was nothing I had ever read before. I am really looking forward to what else she writes in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and
Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
2.5 ⭐️
I'm sad that this one ended up being a disappointing read for me. The first book was one of my favorite reads of 2023. This second book was my most anticipated read for this year. I loved the first ones charm with the characters, world building, and romance. I had found it to be unique and absolutely loved Adrius and Marlow dynamics/relationship.
I'm not sure what the decision making process was to make this duology versus a trilogy. I think many of my next comments regarding what didn't work in this second book could be related to this being two books. Trying to force everything into this one book.
I noticed right away the pacing of the book was off. We left first book with Marlow breaking Adrius trust. It was very significant thing that she did that impacted his consent and autonomy. I was expecting in this second book there would a period of her rebuilding his trust for her and vice versa as he also broke hers the year before. That didn't really seem to ever be discussed and it just never really happened. I'm also really surprised to see the main topic of what was going on with Adrius was just simply tied up in a neat bow and just felt very like it didn't matter at all.
I think my biggest disappointment was the romance between Marlow and Adrius. The charm and chemistry just disappeared. I didn't understand their motives anymore or felt their feelings were genuine. It felt like we missed an entire book leading up to this.
Circling back I really wished this was either a longer second book or trilogy. The pacing seemed to be rushed to tie up all the plot lines. It would have been great to have the second book to truly resolve the first main curse, Adrius/Marlow work thru their trust issues with eachother, and get more information regarding the five families motives/goals.
Although I'm disappointed am really grateful for getting a chance to read these two books thru NetGalley. I don't think I would have discovered Katy Rose Pool for awhile otherwise. I'm very interested in reading more from her. I absolutely adored that first book. The romance and magic system was nothing I had ever read before. I am really looking forward to what else she writes in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and
Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
April 5, 2024
Dropping this down by one star shouldn't really merit a disclaimer, but I need the people to know that I love this duology with all my heart so please read it and don't let this deter you in any way.
That being said I have to be fully honest that there's a plot twist/reveal in the 3rd act of this book that was such a fumble that I couldn't in good faith keep it at the full five stars. I adore all the characters in this duology, especially Marlow, and I think the balance of world building with both romance and plot is extremely well done. It's one of the best and most enjoyable YA fantasies I've read in a long time and I doubt anyone will regret giving it a try, but I did want to be fully honest in wishing that this one plot point had been more thought out. It was so out of left field and just lazy, which is so uncharacteristic of every other piece of this series.
Marlow is such a refreshing female lead in how she gives equal weight to her friendships and relationships, while balancing moral dilemmas beyond her years in a way that doesn't feel uncharacteristic to a teenager. She has real flaws and makes real mistakes, but you respect her for the moral code that she does her best to stick to. I will be recommending this series until the end of time, and I was unbelievably grateful to have had this book be my first ARC! I can't wait to buy my own physical copy when it comes out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review!
That being said I have to be fully honest that there's a plot twist/reveal in the 3rd act of this book that was such a fumble that I couldn't in good faith keep it at the full five stars. I adore all the characters in this duology, especially Marlow, and I think the balance of world building with both romance and plot is extremely well done. It's one of the best and most enjoyable YA fantasies I've read in a long time and I doubt anyone will regret giving it a try, but I did want to be fully honest in wishing that this one plot point had been more thought out. It was so out of left field and just lazy, which is so uncharacteristic of every other piece of this series.
Marlow is such a refreshing female lead in how she gives equal weight to her friendships and relationships, while balancing moral dilemmas beyond her years in a way that doesn't feel uncharacteristic to a teenager. She has real flaws and makes real mistakes, but you respect her for the moral code that she does her best to stick to. I will be recommending this series until the end of time, and I was unbelievably grateful to have had this book be my first ARC! I can't wait to buy my own physical copy when it comes out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review!
February 28, 2024
Masquerade of the Heart was a entertaining sequel and good conclusion to the duology. My biggest problem is that there feels like a lot of filler. It was longer than it should have been. The best part of the duology as a whole has to be characters and sweet romance.I look forward to reading more books by this author.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 25, 2024
4.5 stars!
March 31, 2024
I really enjoyed the first book so I went into this one thinking that as long as it was on par with that, I would enjoy it. It definitely was and more. I had a lot of fun reading this one. The plot kept me engaged, and the romance was fun. Dare I say I enjoyed the plot and the writing enough that if the romance had taken a backseat this still would have been a fun ride for me?
Onto the character! Marlow was as angsty and complex as ever and I really enjoy her as a POV character. Dare I say we got to see a lot more from the side characters in this installment? I wish we had gotten some more time with Gemma, but what we had was lovely. Swift was fun as always, and (no spoilers here) but his side plot was so fun. I had thought something was going on in the first book, but the confirmation + the reactions to it were so funny. I did like the occasional chapters from Adrius’ perspective, it was a change of pace from Marlow that was fun. Vale was a really complicated character for me in terms of how I resonated with them. I think there’s a saying that’s super applicable to him. “The road to hell is paved with good intention” pretty much sums up how I think about him. I did find it interesting to read how his genuine care for Marlow was starting to break down her walls and make her question whether stopping him was correct. Though, the lengths he’d go to succeed in bringing about change and protecting Marlow was scary and eye opening.
Let’s talk about the ✨ plot ✨ Now the plot was absolutely the best part of the book for me. There was so many jaw dropping “wtf” moments for me as I reason this. I did have a slight issue with how the main issue of last book (Adrius’ compulsion curse) was solved, but to be fair we had already discovered who had cast it which was mostly the point of the first book, so I won’t knock it too much. There’s only so much space in the book, and I’ll admit I probably would have been annoyed if too much time was spent resolving something from the first book instead of focusing on new problems. I honestly thought the goal change of a mystery to collecting items for a big fantasy quest was fun, and it’s a familiar type of plot that I enjoy. There was plenty of action interspersed with character moments and that was very appreciated from me.
Overall, this book was an absolutely knockout for me. It surpassed my expectations from the first book, and I read it all in one sitting. I had such a blast reading it, and I enjoyed how everything was wrapped up. I can’t wait to see future works from this author because she’s definitely going on my auto buy list after my experience reading this duology.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC. 5/5 stars.
Onto the character! Marlow was as angsty and complex as ever and I really enjoy her as a POV character. Dare I say we got to see a lot more from the side characters in this installment? I wish we had gotten some more time with Gemma, but what we had was lovely. Swift was fun as always, and (no spoilers here) but his side plot was so fun. I had thought something was going on in the first book, but the confirmation + the reactions to it were so funny. I did like the occasional chapters from Adrius’ perspective, it was a change of pace from Marlow that was fun. Vale was a really complicated character for me in terms of how I resonated with them. I think there’s a saying that’s super applicable to him. “The road to hell is paved with good intention” pretty much sums up how I think about him. I did find it interesting to read how his genuine care for Marlow was starting to break down her walls and make her question whether stopping him was correct. Though, the lengths he’d go to succeed in bringing about change and protecting Marlow was scary and eye opening.
Let’s talk about the ✨ plot ✨ Now the plot was absolutely the best part of the book for me. There was so many jaw dropping “wtf” moments for me as I reason this. I did have a slight issue with how the main issue of last book (Adrius’ compulsion curse) was solved, but to be fair we had already discovered who had cast it which was mostly the point of the first book, so I won’t knock it too much. There’s only so much space in the book, and I’ll admit I probably would have been annoyed if too much time was spent resolving something from the first book instead of focusing on new problems. I honestly thought the goal change of a mystery to collecting items for a big fantasy quest was fun, and it’s a familiar type of plot that I enjoy. There was plenty of action interspersed with character moments and that was very appreciated from me.
Overall, this book was an absolutely knockout for me. It surpassed my expectations from the first book, and I read it all in one sitting. I had such a blast reading it, and I enjoyed how everything was wrapped up. I can’t wait to see future works from this author because she’s definitely going on my auto buy list after my experience reading this duology.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC. 5/5 stars.
August 16, 2024
2024 reads: 170/250
i received an advanced listening copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
this is the sequel to garden of the cursed.
as tension rises between the five families and trouble brews in the marshes, marlow finds herself in the middle of all the chaos. adrius has stopped speaking to her to focus on finding a wife, but despite her heartbreak, marlow still wants to help break his curse. she’s willing to do whatever it takes, including playing the role of loving daughter to the man who cast said curse. as she gets closer to her father, she begins to wonder if he’s really the villain he’s been chalked up to be.
garden of the cursed really took me by surprise last year (in a good way, of course), so i was eagerly anticipating this sequel! i loved all the angst in this book. as i mentioned, adrius and marlow aren’t talking, there’s tension because of who marlow’s father is, and so on. i liked seeing how these plot points were explored.
i’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first book, and i hope to read more of katy rose pool’s books soon!
narration: jennifer blom did a wonderful job bringing this story to life! i highly recommend the audiobook.
i received an advanced listening copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
this is the sequel to garden of the cursed.
as tension rises between the five families and trouble brews in the marshes, marlow finds herself in the middle of all the chaos. adrius has stopped speaking to her to focus on finding a wife, but despite her heartbreak, marlow still wants to help break his curse. she’s willing to do whatever it takes, including playing the role of loving daughter to the man who cast said curse. as she gets closer to her father, she begins to wonder if he’s really the villain he’s been chalked up to be.
garden of the cursed really took me by surprise last year (in a good way, of course), so i was eagerly anticipating this sequel! i loved all the angst in this book. as i mentioned, adrius and marlow aren’t talking, there’s tension because of who marlow’s father is, and so on. i liked seeing how these plot points were explored.
i’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first book, and i hope to read more of katy rose pool’s books soon!
narration: jennifer blom did a wonderful job bringing this story to life! i highly recommend the audiobook.
March 15, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc!
*4.5 rounded up*
After the ending of the first book, I couldn't wait to jump back into the world of Caraza and see what awaited Marlow and Adrius. Like the first book, we follow Marlow's POV, but we also get a few Adrius chapters sprinkled in this time too. I enjoyed reading from his POV and thought it added an extra layer of depth to his character.
Masquerade of the Heart picks up right after the end of The Garden of the Cursed. From there, this book is full of action and tension making it very hard to put down! I loved that we got to learn more about the spellwrights in this book, although I wouldn't have minded seeing even more of it!
I loved reading about Marlow and following her journey throughout the entire duology. Overall, I thought this was a wonderful conclusion to this duology and look forward to reading the author's future works.
*4.5 rounded up*
After the ending of the first book, I couldn't wait to jump back into the world of Caraza and see what awaited Marlow and Adrius. Like the first book, we follow Marlow's POV, but we also get a few Adrius chapters sprinkled in this time too. I enjoyed reading from his POV and thought it added an extra layer of depth to his character.
Masquerade of the Heart picks up right after the end of The Garden of the Cursed. From there, this book is full of action and tension making it very hard to put down! I loved that we got to learn more about the spellwrights in this book, although I wouldn't have minded seeing even more of it!
I loved reading about Marlow and following her journey throughout the entire duology. Overall, I thought this was a wonderful conclusion to this duology and look forward to reading the author's future works.
June 25, 2024
Does it deserve a 4 star rating? No. However I am obsessed and heartbroken. This book felt like it was at least two shoved into one. Honestly I feel like the story could've been so much deeper. I feel like I've been robbed of the plot. Seriously this series could've been like Harry Potter deep. It's all there. Now I understand why people write fan fiction.
July 30, 2025
Someone tell me, why is this duology so underrated? I went into the first book with low expectations due to the poor reviews and ratings but ended up loving it. Then the sequel hit the shelves and once again, poor ratings and reviews including from people who had enjoyed the first. I was really nervous as I didn't want this to be a sequel that ruins what I loved in the first. I am honestly baffled; I have finally read it - once again with low expectations - and I loved it once again. True, I enjoyed book one a wee bit more and this sequel had a few flaws. But it had the same great characters and mysteries going on that made the first book such a page turner.
In this sequel, we pick up not much later from where the first book left off. Marlow is being investigated for the murder of Adrius' father. For a variety of reasons, the two aren't able to speak to eachother nore do they know if each the other wants to see them. Marlow is still the only one who knows it's her own father Vale who is pulling the strings in the backround and her best friend Swift is still missing.
Marlow remains a great character - she's smart, strong and yet vulnerable and probably most of all, she never gives up. Adrius is a little less fiesty than he was in the first book but in a good way; while both he and Marlow still need to work throug things in this instalment, I think they built a solid foundation in the first book so there's less of a push and pull between the two and I think also as a reader we understand Adrius better at this point. Having a dual point of view between the two was great - we definitely got more Marlow and Adrius chapters but it was still nicely balanced.
While we now know who the main antagonist is, there are still plenty of mysteries for Marlow and her friends to solve. It's largely well paced and just has a really good balance between action, mystery and all the relationships and complications that come with them. For a duology, this actually has a pretty large cast including multiple villains - despite the large cast, it felt well developped and just added life to this setting; it's not just about the characters but about their city and how to make it a better place.
The magic system remains interesting - it is not much expanded upon from the first book but we do get to see a bit more usage of magic cards given that Marlow is actively working with people who are trying to make magic more widely available to ordinary people.
One of the few downsides was Marlow's mother - I thought the mystery around her was both rushed and unsatisfactory. That being said, that's about the only thing that didn't sit right with me, everything else fell into place nicely. I liked how Adrius' and Marlow's relationship continued to grow. It was nice seeing some of the side characters prove they are true friends. Swift's romance was anything but a surprise given it had been hinted at since book one, but it was nice nonetheless - I confess it would have been nice to see a little more of it happen but I suppose it is Marlow and Adrius' story after all.
I think this is a beautifully crafted and very well balanced YA duology and I am absolutely baffled by the mediocre ratings! This is a great example why it's always good to try for yourself - I am very glad I picked this one up despite all and I shall definitely be looking into Katy Rose Pool's previous and future works.
April 16, 2024
⭐️ 2.5 stars
Finally, I've been able to read the sequel earlier, and my reaction after finishing it is that the story is just so mediocre and a bit of a mess. First of all, about the plot, I've been anticipating a lot of action and high-stakes problems, but everything the characters did felt like they were just circling around and taking too long to finish a problem that they could have resolved earlier. The lack of depth in some parts of the story also bothers me, as the author introduces elements without explaining them, leaving me feeling like the story is going nowhere. I see how the author tries to connect every piece of the plot, but it feels off because so much is missing. There is also romance, a lot of it, which I found adorable at times, especially the dynamics between Marlow and Adrius. However, the issue is that during moments where they should be focused on the problem, the author chooses to insert unnecessary romantic scenes, which I found distracting and kind of ruining the seriousness of the moment. I don't hate their romance, but I do feel like it shouldn't have been poured into the story so much, as it ended up making it feel more "cheesy-cringe".
The characters themselves don't really make me hate them, but maybe just some of them that I find annoying and far too innocent for someone who has great power and knows quite a lot of secrets. Sometimes, in some characters, I get how they try to justify what they did, but it's kind of bothering me that after any troubles, they just get away without remorse. It feels like they're allowed to do that when all of them were a bigger falsehood.
From all of that, I gather that this book isn't quite close to an okay book. Yes, I enjoyed the romance and surprisingly wasn't bored while reading, but the numerous issues made me less entertained. Not to mention, it spends too long on pages, even though the pacing is fast, I felt it was too slow to read. I just hope others who read this sequel will like the book and feel satisfied with how it ends.
─Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader copy (arc) in exchange for an honest review.
Finally, I've been able to read the sequel earlier, and my reaction after finishing it is that the story is just so mediocre and a bit of a mess. First of all, about the plot, I've been anticipating a lot of action and high-stakes problems, but everything the characters did felt like they were just circling around and taking too long to finish a problem that they could have resolved earlier. The lack of depth in some parts of the story also bothers me, as the author introduces elements without explaining them, leaving me feeling like the story is going nowhere. I see how the author tries to connect every piece of the plot, but it feels off because so much is missing. There is also romance, a lot of it, which I found adorable at times, especially the dynamics between Marlow and Adrius. However, the issue is that during moments where they should be focused on the problem, the author chooses to insert unnecessary romantic scenes, which I found distracting and kind of ruining the seriousness of the moment. I don't hate their romance, but I do feel like it shouldn't have been poured into the story so much, as it ended up making it feel more "cheesy-cringe".
The characters themselves don't really make me hate them, but maybe just some of them that I find annoying and far too innocent for someone who has great power and knows quite a lot of secrets. Sometimes, in some characters, I get how they try to justify what they did, but it's kind of bothering me that after any troubles, they just get away without remorse. It feels like they're allowed to do that when all of them were a bigger falsehood.
From all of that, I gather that this book isn't quite close to an okay book. Yes, I enjoyed the romance and surprisingly wasn't bored while reading, but the numerous issues made me less entertained. Not to mention, it spends too long on pages, even though the pacing is fast, I felt it was too slow to read. I just hope others who read this sequel will like the book and feel satisfied with how it ends.
─Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader copy (arc) in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2025
*4,5 ⭐️ Was für ein genialer zweiter Band! Masquerade of the Heart war richtig klug und durchdacht mit einigen Schockmomenten 😅 Der Plot ist komplex, spannend und steckt voller Twists, die ich so nicht habe kommen sehen.
Das politische System war super spannend und der Antagonist angenehm vielschichtig. Besonders mochte ich den Kontrast zwischen der Stadt und den Marschen – beides war atmosphärisch dicht beschrieben und hat das Setting richtig lebendig gemacht.
Marlow hat mich komplett überzeugt. Ihre Entwicklung war intensiv und emotional, wodurch ich richtig mit ihr mitgefiebert habe. Nur der Love Interest konnte mich wieder nicht ganz abholen – etwas zu blass und glücksabhängig in seinen „Glanzmomenten“.
Insgesamt eine spannende, clevere Fortsetzung, die nie langweilig wurde und mich komplett mitgerissen hat!
Das politische System war super spannend und der Antagonist angenehm vielschichtig. Besonders mochte ich den Kontrast zwischen der Stadt und den Marschen – beides war atmosphärisch dicht beschrieben und hat das Setting richtig lebendig gemacht.
Marlow hat mich komplett überzeugt. Ihre Entwicklung war intensiv und emotional, wodurch ich richtig mit ihr mitgefiebert habe. Nur der Love Interest konnte mich wieder nicht ganz abholen – etwas zu blass und glücksabhängig in seinen „Glanzmomenten“.
Insgesamt eine spannende, clevere Fortsetzung, die nie langweilig wurde und mich komplett mitgerissen hat!
April 17, 2024
Masquerade of the Heart by Katy Rose Pool
Cards. Curses. Spells. Secrets. Found Family.
We meet Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs once again in this second book of the duology. We meet the deadly Evergarden Society once again, following the aftermath of her fake romance. Adrius is seeking a wife and our curse breaker is still intent on breaking his curse.
This book explores Marlow's relationship to her father, and secrets and lies are outed. Enemies are turned ally and vice versa. Drama, chaos ensues. The society is upended.
I absolutely loved the first book in this enchanting duology. It was fast-past, alluring, thrilling, and such an exciting ride. The romance was breath-taking and even more chemically charged, relations were explored far better in this book.
That being said, I would loved to have had a third installment to explore some missed opportunities. Everything was tied in a nice conclusion, but there could have been more with the characters and the drama and the magic.
I wanted more time with the characters we've met in this fantastical world. I found it unique and intriguing. If there were a spinoff of some sort, I would pick that series up without hesitation! Marlow and her friends deserve more adventures! 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!
Cards. Curses. Spells. Secrets. Found Family.
We meet Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs once again in this second book of the duology. We meet the deadly Evergarden Society once again, following the aftermath of her fake romance. Adrius is seeking a wife and our curse breaker is still intent on breaking his curse.
This book explores Marlow's relationship to her father, and secrets and lies are outed. Enemies are turned ally and vice versa. Drama, chaos ensues. The society is upended.
I absolutely loved the first book in this enchanting duology. It was fast-past, alluring, thrilling, and such an exciting ride. The romance was breath-taking and even more chemically charged, relations were explored far better in this book.
That being said, I would loved to have had a third installment to explore some missed opportunities. Everything was tied in a nice conclusion, but there could have been more with the characters and the drama and the magic.
I wanted more time with the characters we've met in this fantastical world. I found it unique and intriguing. If there were a spinoff of some sort, I would pick that series up without hesitation! Marlow and her friends deserve more adventures! 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!
October 23, 2024
That was such an amazing ending to the series wow! Then we got the two extra scene because of Owlcrate that was even better! Ahhh I'm going to miss these characters and the magic system but it wrapped up so perfectly!!
Want to read
December 5, 2023after that first book, this is going to be good. but if marlow and adrius don't get a happy ending then i'm going to cry
February 14, 2024
A stressful but good time!!
April 7, 2024
I devoured book 1, Garden of the Cursed and this deeply satisfying conclusion to the duology is no different from Garden's fast-paced, thrilling, and eventful plot and this time, the romance is amped up and the stakes are even higher. My only complaint is I wish that it was longer and that I get to spend more time with these characters! Not likely, but I am hoping to see Marlow and her friends in maybe extensions of the series?
I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced mystery suspense YA romance!
Themes: curses, spells, breaking curses, truths, secrets, found family, true friends, protecting loved ones, risks, power, grief
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance reading copy!
AMAZON ASSOCIATES LINKS:
Read on Kindle Unlimited or buy a copy of Garden of the Cursed (#1)
Pre-order your copy of Masquerade of the Heart (#2), out on 6/18/2024
I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced mystery suspense YA romance!
Themes: curses, spells, breaking curses, truths, secrets, found family, true friends, protecting loved ones, risks, power, grief
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance reading copy!
AMAZON ASSOCIATES LINKS:
Read on Kindle Unlimited or buy a copy of Garden of the Cursed (#1)
Pre-order your copy of Masquerade of the Heart (#2), out on 6/18/2024
June 18, 2024
**Thank you to Fierce Reads for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
No one is surprised that I screamed when I was able to get my hands on an e-arc of this book, since I am a huge fan of Katy Rose Pool.
This finale to the duology was fantastic!!! So many things I need to go through...
KRP's character were is incredible. I adore all of the characters that I have read from her so far, and Marlowe, Adrius, and Swift are definitely part of that group. Even Sylvan, and some of the other characters! Her characters are realistically flawed and fantastic. You grow to love them and want to know that all of them are going to survive these twisting and winding tales.
After the cliffhanger from the first book, this finale was nothing short of amazing and addicting. I couldn't put this book down, just needing to know what would happen next and how the duology would end. I'm not going to go into too much detail because spoilers, but there were some fantastic twists and turns that I was not expecting. And I loved the way that the duology wrapped up! It was amazing.
I would highly recommend this duology to anyone who is looking for a YA fantasy with twists, mystery, romance, and great characters!
TW: abandonment, alcohol, death, blood, emotional abuse, violence, murder, gaslighting, injury/ injury detail, death of parent
No one is surprised that I screamed when I was able to get my hands on an e-arc of this book, since I am a huge fan of Katy Rose Pool.
This finale to the duology was fantastic!!! So many things I need to go through...
KRP's character were is incredible. I adore all of the characters that I have read from her so far, and Marlowe, Adrius, and Swift are definitely part of that group. Even Sylvan, and some of the other characters! Her characters are realistically flawed and fantastic. You grow to love them and want to know that all of them are going to survive these twisting and winding tales.
After the cliffhanger from the first book, this finale was nothing short of amazing and addicting. I couldn't put this book down, just needing to know what would happen next and how the duology would end. I'm not going to go into too much detail because spoilers, but there were some fantastic twists and turns that I was not expecting. And I loved the way that the duology wrapped up! It was amazing.
I would highly recommend this duology to anyone who is looking for a YA fantasy with twists, mystery, romance, and great characters!
TW: abandonment, alcohol, death, blood, emotional abuse, violence, murder, gaslighting, injury/ injury detail, death of parent
June 22, 2024
Masquerade of the Heart is the exciting conclusion to the Garden of the Cursed duology. I inhaled Garden of the Cursed last year, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next with Marlow and Adrius. The ending of the first book was marvelous, and this one grabbed my attention from the start.
Marlow and Adrius both have compelling stories, and the growth they both show over the course of the duology is incredible. I felt for both of them as they dealt with the ramifications of what happened at the end of the last book. Now, tensions run high in the five ruling families, and, as more secrets and lies are revealed, the battle for power is intense. The story is action-packed and suspenseful as Marlow unravels all that she learns and tries to forge a better future for herself and those she cares about.
I loved that this story included Marlow and Adrius’s perspectives. I was so interested in Adrius in the first book and loved seeing all the different layers to his character. There are parts of his story that felt very emotional, and I was moved by some of the things he experienced.
Other characters like Swift, Gemma, and Silvan, as well as some new additions, add so much life to the story and highlight the found family aspect, which is always a fave of mine. And the love story – so wonderful! The pining and angst, the sexual tension, the banter and chemistry, the forbidden aspect to their romance – it’s all fantastic!
.I really enjoyed this read. It was fast-paced and suspenseful, and the plot was intriguing. It’s a nice balance of action, character development, and romance, and the fantasy elements, especially the magic, are unique and interesting. And the ending is wrapped up well. I would definitely recommend the duology to YA fantasy and romantasy readers.
Thanks to Turn the Page Tours and Henry Holt & Co for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Marlow and Adrius both have compelling stories, and the growth they both show over the course of the duology is incredible. I felt for both of them as they dealt with the ramifications of what happened at the end of the last book. Now, tensions run high in the five ruling families, and, as more secrets and lies are revealed, the battle for power is intense. The story is action-packed and suspenseful as Marlow unravels all that she learns and tries to forge a better future for herself and those she cares about.
I loved that this story included Marlow and Adrius’s perspectives. I was so interested in Adrius in the first book and loved seeing all the different layers to his character. There are parts of his story that felt very emotional, and I was moved by some of the things he experienced.
Other characters like Swift, Gemma, and Silvan, as well as some new additions, add so much life to the story and highlight the found family aspect, which is always a fave of mine. And the love story – so wonderful! The pining and angst, the sexual tension, the banter and chemistry, the forbidden aspect to their romance – it’s all fantastic!
.I really enjoyed this read. It was fast-paced and suspenseful, and the plot was intriguing. It’s a nice balance of action, character development, and romance, and the fantasy elements, especially the magic, are unique and interesting. And the ending is wrapped up well. I would definitely recommend the duology to YA fantasy and romantasy readers.
Thanks to Turn the Page Tours and Henry Holt & Co for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
January 1, 2025
This was a fast paced steampunk fantasy romance with a lot of action, a bit of intrigue, and a boat load of crime.
I started this on book two and was able to piece together what was happening, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read book one first. It was well written and easy to follow along with but I think the emotional highs would have packed more of a punch if I had understood more context around them.
I really enjoyed the moxy of the MC, she had a very Veronica Mars type vibe. Her forbidden love brought angst to the story and snarky best friend balanced it with the perfect amount of levity and seriousness.
This was an ALC from Macmillan Audio and I think they did a great job on it. The production quality was top notch and the narrator was really fun to listen to.
I started this on book two and was able to piece together what was happening, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read book one first. It was well written and easy to follow along with but I think the emotional highs would have packed more of a punch if I had understood more context around them.
I really enjoyed the moxy of the MC, she had a very Veronica Mars type vibe. Her forbidden love brought angst to the story and snarky best friend balanced it with the perfect amount of levity and seriousness.
This was an ALC from Macmillan Audio and I think they did a great job on it. The production quality was top notch and the narrator was really fun to listen to.
June 16, 2024
I picked up an ARC of this book from the publisher’s booth at the North Texas Teen Book Festival.
Not my favorite but an enjoyable read nonetheless. My favorite part of this was Adrius’s utter yearning for Marlow. He had it real bad, lol.
This is a very twisty, gritty book, no real right vs wrong, no black and white. Just shades of grey and people trying to survive. It shows that no one—or many someones—shouldn’t have that much power to create or destroy without caring for those outside of their circle. This book was less flashy in terms of Evergarden than the first book, less parties and society and more dealings with gangs and distorting the darkness of the city.
I still enjoyed Marlow, Swift, Adrius, and yes, even Silvan at times. I think we could have done more with Gemma, considering her feelings for Amara. I actually really liked her and wanted to see more of this slow friendship between her and Marlow.
I’m not really convinced that Vale had true fatherly feelings for Marlow. I kind of wonder how he would have reacted if he knew about Marlow’s mother and how she revealed herself to Marlow. That in itself felt kind of… I don’t know—thrown in there? Marlow has such conflicting feelings about her mother and still loving her despite all that just kind of feels icky, lol.
An interesting series overall that I don’t think I would have picked up had I not gotten an ARC of this book.
Not my favorite but an enjoyable read nonetheless. My favorite part of this was Adrius’s utter yearning for Marlow. He had it real bad, lol.
This is a very twisty, gritty book, no real right vs wrong, no black and white. Just shades of grey and people trying to survive. It shows that no one—or many someones—shouldn’t have that much power to create or destroy without caring for those outside of their circle. This book was less flashy in terms of Evergarden than the first book, less parties and society and more dealings with gangs and distorting the darkness of the city.
I still enjoyed Marlow, Swift, Adrius, and yes, even Silvan at times. I think we could have done more with Gemma, considering her feelings for Amara. I actually really liked her and wanted to see more of this slow friendship between her and Marlow.
I’m not really convinced that Vale had true fatherly feelings for Marlow. I kind of wonder how he would have reacted if he knew about Marlow’s mother and how she revealed herself to Marlow. That in itself felt kind of… I don’t know—thrown in there? Marlow has such conflicting feelings about her mother and still loving her despite all that just kind of feels icky, lol.
An interesting series overall that I don’t think I would have picked up had I not gotten an ARC of this book.
January 14, 2025
Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. OH MY GOSH!! I love this duology so much it’s so good! I was lucky enough to read an arc of book 1 but didn’t get to book 2 until now and boy was I missing out! It’s so much fun and the audiobook narrator is amazing. Marlow and Adrius are the best characters and I love them. Silven and Swift are such great side characters. Minor spoiler (I called that they were in a relationship in the last book 🤣) end spoiler. I love the world building and the magic system in this world. Basically I love this book and I hope more people read this duology!
June 19, 2024
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
LOVED THIS CONCLUSION.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I enjoyed book one, and I loved this sequel even more. I loved the way the romantic tension was cranked up and the forbidden aspects had me in a chokehold. The audiobook was absolutely fantastic. There wasn’t two narrators for the dual POV but I feel like Jennifer Blom did a great job of distinguishing the different characters.
The card and curse system is really cool and I loved seeing deeper dynamics of the magic system and world. I loved the found family Marlow was a part of and the loyalty and love they showed each other. Adrius’s sister kind of drove me up a wall, but she was my only small issue. The other dramatic sub plots worked well for continuing the story at least.
I liked the way things wrapped up. This was the first series I’ve completed from Katy Rose Pool and now I’m officially a fan and look forward to future projects. MOTH was filled with a combination of upper young adult devices that I love and now it’s a completed duo so go read it!!
Overall audience notes:
- Upper YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: closed door
- Violence: moderate-high
LOVED THIS CONCLUSION.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I enjoyed book one, and I loved this sequel even more. I loved the way the romantic tension was cranked up and the forbidden aspects had me in a chokehold. The audiobook was absolutely fantastic. There wasn’t two narrators for the dual POV but I feel like Jennifer Blom did a great job of distinguishing the different characters.
The card and curse system is really cool and I loved seeing deeper dynamics of the magic system and world. I loved the found family Marlow was a part of and the loyalty and love they showed each other. Adrius’s sister kind of drove me up a wall, but she was my only small issue. The other dramatic sub plots worked well for continuing the story at least.
I liked the way things wrapped up. This was the first series I’ve completed from Katy Rose Pool and now I’m officially a fan and look forward to future projects. MOTH was filled with a combination of upper young adult devices that I love and now it’s a completed duo so go read it!!
Overall audience notes:
- Upper YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: closed door
- Violence: moderate-high
August 22, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
it was so nice to meet all the characters again!!
imo a solid end to the duology, though the first one was obviously more to my liking
wouldn't mind a spin off ✋🏼
it was so nice to meet all the characters again!!
imo a solid end to the duology, though the first one was obviously more to my liking
wouldn't mind a spin off ✋🏼
March 17, 2025
3.5 stars. On par with the first book! A solid story.
December 1, 2024
Hate the cover, loved the story!
December 19, 2024
After solving her last case, Marlow Briggs is still dealing with the aftermath. She needs to figure out a way to stop her father before he does something irrevocable to the city.
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3.5 stars
I'm not sure how I feel about this book? I enjoyed the first book a lot more than the 2nd tbh. I think it's partly because I had issues with the pacing, worldbuilding, and character work? I think those issues would've been solved if this series was a trilogy and not a duology.
I still had the same issues with the worldbuilding. I don't get how their government works, though I'm more certain it's a city-state and maybe a democracy? In this book it talks about how they have a mayor, apparently. I really wish Pool spent some time explaining how the government functions or the history of the city. Especially considering one of the main plots was how rampant corruption was in the city and how it suffocates the common person.
I get that the side plot with the solicitor and Fisher was used to show how corruption affected the common person. And I really liked that aspect of the story a lot! I just wish there were more scenes of Marlow in the Marshes dealing with regular people to show how corruption affects a regular person.
I loved Marlow a lot in the first book, and her characterization was consistent in that one, but in this one, not really? She still investigates, but she suddenly becomes more trusting/less secretive? Which didn't really make sense. I also don't get why she suddenly was for That was literally what she was fighting against in the previous book. Two of the people closest to her had lost freedom of choice, so it didn't make sense.
The side characters were a lot weaker in this book? I enjoyed the addition of Fisher, but nothing was really added with Amara, Swift, Silvan, and Gemma? They didn't change or grow tbh. I was still indifferent to Amara and Silvan? I wish the chapters in Adrius's POV characterized them because he's the one with the closest connection. Instead, it was just Adrius's POV of the romance. I'm just indifferent towards them because we didn't learn anything new about them.
I had issues with Vale. He's the main antagonist, but I don't really get his motivations? He wants to take control because of the corruption in society, but why does he want to do that? Why is he so family oriented? It just doesn't make sense, and he didn't feel fully fleshed out.
The Cassandra reveal made sense because I just wish she didn't come back because she didn't add anything?
I wish there was a moment where both Marlow and Adrius were able to talk to their mothers fully. It was implied that Adrius did so off-page, but Marlow's felt rushed.
i really think this book should've been longer to characterize the side characters.
The romance was okay? I felt a lot of the romantic things should've been cut to make the plot flow better.
The plot was good. It's just that the pacing was so bad, so things didn't hit the way they were supposed to. It felt too fast and too slow at the same time? It also didn't help that I didn't have a good grasp of the world.
It's a good book. It's just too tightly packed and shoved. It should've been a trilogy, or the romance cut a lot more from this book.
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3.5 stars
I'm not sure how I feel about this book? I enjoyed the first book a lot more than the 2nd tbh. I think it's partly because I had issues with the pacing, worldbuilding, and character work? I think those issues would've been solved if this series was a trilogy and not a duology.
I still had the same issues with the worldbuilding. I don't get how their government works, though I'm more certain it's a city-state and maybe a democracy? In this book it talks about how they have a mayor, apparently. I really wish Pool spent some time explaining how the government functions or the history of the city. Especially considering one of the main plots was how rampant corruption was in the city and how it suffocates the common person.
I get that the side plot with the solicitor and Fisher was used to show how corruption affected the common person. And I really liked that aspect of the story a lot! I just wish there were more scenes of Marlow in the Marshes dealing with regular people to show how corruption affects a regular person.
I loved Marlow a lot in the first book, and her characterization was consistent in that one, but in this one, not really? She still investigates, but she suddenly becomes more trusting/less secretive? Which didn't really make sense. I also don't get why she suddenly was for That was literally what she was fighting against in the previous book. Two of the people closest to her had lost freedom of choice, so it didn't make sense.
The side characters were a lot weaker in this book? I enjoyed the addition of Fisher, but nothing was really added with Amara, Swift, Silvan, and Gemma? They didn't change or grow tbh. I was still indifferent to Amara and Silvan? I wish the chapters in Adrius's POV characterized them because he's the one with the closest connection. Instead, it was just Adrius's POV of the romance. I'm just indifferent towards them because we didn't learn anything new about them.
I had issues with Vale. He's the main antagonist, but I don't really get his motivations? He wants to take control because of the corruption in society, but why does he want to do that? Why is he so family oriented? It just doesn't make sense, and he didn't feel fully fleshed out.
The Cassandra reveal made sense because I just wish she didn't come back because she didn't add anything?
I wish there was a moment where both Marlow and Adrius were able to talk to their mothers fully. It was implied that Adrius did so off-page, but Marlow's felt rushed.
i really think this book should've been longer to characterize the side characters.
The romance was okay? I felt a lot of the romantic things should've been cut to make the plot flow better.
The plot was good. It's just that the pacing was so bad, so things didn't hit the way they were supposed to. It felt too fast and too slow at the same time? It also didn't help that I didn't have a good grasp of the world.
It's a good book. It's just too tightly packed and shoved. It should've been a trilogy, or the romance cut a lot more from this book.
September 16, 2024
**2.5 stars** One of my most anticipated reads for this year, and it was such a let down. :( It didn't live up to the first book. Not to mention, the cover is so hideous.
MOTH takes place right after the first installment after that cliffhanger. We continue with Marlow's journey of proving her innocence while breaking curses and righting wrongs. The romance between our two main characters progress further and loose ends are tied in this final book of the duology.
I had several problems with this book. The writing was okay but the pacing was extremely off. I LOVED the first book with its world building and character progression. But this one? Every question we had from the first book was answered with one sentence. All the conflict that was built up-wrapped up within a second. It was such a disappointment because this affected the romance between Marlow and Adrius. Their relationship was very surface level when it could have been so much more. I'm really sad to be giving this a lower rating. But this was still a fast read and if you're like me and can't leave a series unfinished, it is worth reading.
MOTH takes place right after the first installment after that cliffhanger. We continue with Marlow's journey of proving her innocence while breaking curses and righting wrongs. The romance between our two main characters progress further and loose ends are tied in this final book of the duology.
I had several problems with this book. The writing was okay but the pacing was extremely off. I LOVED the first book with its world building and character progression. But this one? Every question we had from the first book was answered with one sentence. All the conflict that was built up-wrapped up within a second. It was such a disappointment because this affected the romance between Marlow and Adrius. Their relationship was very surface level when it could have been so much more. I'm really sad to be giving this a lower rating. But this was still a fast read and if you're like me and can't leave a series unfinished, it is worth reading.
March 20, 2024
This book is marketed perfectly cause the Veronica Mars vibes are so apparent throughout this duology. I for sure liked the main character the most. Marlow is such an adorable and loveable character, I think she is a great example of making a smart female character without making them unrealistic or unlikable which is way too common these days. She is also challenged frequently without being protected with plot armor, so we actually get to see my girl struggle. I also found the magic system incredibly compelling, it's unique and unlike anything I've ever read. My only problem was how the prior conflict was somehow fixed and everything seemed too fast, but the adventurous feel was super worth it. I still think the first book was better but I'll round my 3.5 for this book up to a 4.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!
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