Cursed

Wicked Heirs #2

by Harlow Duncan

Trapped in a world of dark magic and monsters with human faces, she must fight to survive—or become one of them.

Avril Velez has spent her life in shadows, unaware that her very soul had been sold to the dark sorcerer Lucian Romano twenty years ago. Now imprisoned in his sprawling estate, Lucian demands she become his bride, binding her to him through the blackest magic.

As if Lucian’s twisted obsession weren’t enough, Avril’s three stepbrothers—Titus, Valen, and Bastian—are locked in a vicious rivalry for her heart and body. Once united in their torment, their dangerous desires have turned possessive, dragging Avril into a spiral of dark games, jealousy, and forbidden temptation.

But when the brothers uncover their father’s chilling plans, they turn to Avril as the key to his downfall. Bound by hatred for Lucian, they plot his murder and offer Avril a dangerous her freedom in exchange for their shared power.

Trusting them could be her salvation—or her undoing.

**Please check the trigger warnings for this book. The Wicked Heirs Series is intended to be read by adults over the age of 18 and contains content that may be triggering for some readers**

Genres: Dark

363 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2025

Reviews

[Morally_Gray_Nola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gone is the innocent, timid, frightened little bird of a girl that was so easily abused and used in ‘Marked: Book 1 of Wicked Heirs’. Our Avril has grown impressively deadly talons. Titus, Bastian, and Valen are showing cracks in the walls surrounding their hearts. Thank God—It’s about time!!!

Titus, Bastian, and Valen’s father, Lucian, has gotten much creepier since Book 1. He went so far as to put his lips on Avril. *gross chills* I sincerely hope he isn’t able to touch her anymore. It’s just … YUCK!

Lots of revolutionary events occur in this book. The buildup for Book 3 is off the charts. I. Can’t. Wait!

Recommended.


Basics:
Length:
* Novel
HEA/Cliffhanger:
* Cliffy
Series:
* Book 2 of 3: Wicked Heirs
Epilogue:
* Not yet

Nitty-Gritty…
MMC:
* Titus
* Bastian
* Valen
FMC:
* Avril
Genre & Tropes:
* Dark Paranormal Romance
* Morally Dark Gray MMCs
* Forbidden Romance
* Enemies to Lovers
* Forced Proximity
* Reverse Harem
* MFM+M
* This book MF sex only
* Step-Brother MMCs
Triggers:
* 18+
* On Page Sex
* Fellatio
* Bottom Play
* Bondage
* Breath Play
* Bullying
* Stalking
* Dubious Consent
* Magical Sex
* Death
* Murder
Burn Speed:
* Fast
Spice Level:
*

[Rhae Asphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

"CURSED" is a fantasy book, with erotic overtones, that takes us inside Avril's head and her constant torment. At the beginning we have a weak and pathetic girl who can't handle herself, she's tied to Lucian, her stepfather and "partner", and somehow still surrendered to her stepbrothers: Titus, Valen, and Bastian. Three manipulative, cold-blooded boys fueled by darkness and an insatiable thirst for power, just like their father.As we progress through the plot, we see that Avril, with the help of the grimoire, turns things around and, for the first time, is able to take control, even if only for a short time.Torn between remaining a good person or not, she must now face the consequences of the book and what Lucian wants, while also fighting for her freedom.

I have to admit that I didn't read the first book of this saga, but I understood everything very easily, since this book explains well Avril's situation and the place where she is. Although it could sometimes become excessively dramatic, the plot has something that envelops the reader and forces him to finish reading it. Once you start, you won't stop. You'll find dark magic, truly evil to the point of stealing it from someone, as well as seeing many feelings locked up in a fragile girl.

You're also going to meet four particular characters that you'll either hate, love, or somewhere in between. Lucian? He's my favorite, for some strange reason. At least, the way At least the way Lucian acts in this book, his way of speaking, His gestures and ideas make me like him much more than his children. Titus, Bastian, and Valen aren't for me. Starting with the fact that they're "stepbrothers" (not really), They have a manipulative and unstable personality that didn't quite win me over. I feel like they needed to delve deeper into who they really are, although I know there's a third book. Surely, they develop more there.

Personally, I think the entire plot could be sustained without the need for sex with her brothers. I can't help but think there's a deeper morbidity hidden beneath, disguised as a soap opera. However, if I remove the unnecessary sex and the fact that "they're family", it's an interesting story. A good fantasy story that I do not recommend for all audiences, since it has sensitive themes. In addition to the hidden reality, if you suffer under the aggression of a stepfather in real life, I do not recommend reading.

I'm not sure I'll read the third book, but I'm going to read the first one so I can get more context and information about the characters. Maybe I'll end up with a new favorite. A romance novel? No. Definitely not. A fantasy novel, a dark world and a struggle for power and freedom? Yes, and it's fantastic. I haven't found a good book with this plot in a while.

Do you want a quick read? A gripping, addictive, and tense story? This one's perfect. You'll love it.

[Booksbystarlightandshadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid three stars for me; I liked Avril starting to come into her power, and the spooky grimoire was a plot I didn't see coming. It also kept me engaged and I'm keen to see how its all going to pan out in the next book.

However, I'm not really feeling any of the MMCs at all; Titus, Valen and Bastien do get plenty of page time but I just don't feel like I know enough about them yet as they still present as a unit rather than individual characters. After the end of book one I really couldn't see how they were going to ever walk their way back to Avril and we don't seem to be that much closer on the romance front. The guys genuinely don't seem phased about the weight of their actions towards Avril and right now I'm hoping Avril sees sense and leaves them in the dust. I did like the showdown between Valen and Avril though when he refused to apologise. Lucien in comparison, seems to be so much more intriguing with his hints of the mystery surrounding Avril's father and he seems a lot more developed. I'd love a little more on the world building too as although it is said several times Lucien and the guys are on the dark side, there hasn't been much about the sage side of magic system to compare too.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

My interpretation of the star system;
3 stars - I enjoyed it; would read the author again
4 stars - I really liked it; I am invested and definitely want more from this author/series
5 stars - I loved it; I engaged with this book completely until I finished it and it is one I will re-read

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cursed is the second book in the Wicked Heirs Series! I liked this book as much if not more than the first book! Harlow did a great job and I can't wait for book 3.

Avril is still very timid and afraid in this book but toward the halfway mark she starts to come more into herself. I really liked how Harlow wrote in regards to Avril sinking into madness because of the grimoire. Will the darkness overtake Avril's lightness/innocents? You could feel the anxiety coming off of her in this book.

Titus, Bastian, and Valen are still trying to manipulate Avril in the second book but is it working like they think? I haven't forgiven them from book 1 yet...It seems to me that Valen is showing some true feeling toward Avril and cares about her safety. Lucian the guy's father is even more creepy in this book from the first book.

How about that ending!!! Will Avril and her guys be able to work together to overthrow Lucian? The ending was not what I was expecting but it set it up for the next book in the series. To fully enjoy these books you should read them in order.

[Shelby Woodruff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to be back in this world to see the story of Avril and the boys unfold again. It starts right where book 1 left off after Titus, Bastian, and Valen outed her to Lucien. I always like when the next book starts right after book 1 ends. I gave this book 4 stars because there were parts in this book where I was STRUGGLING because I was waiting for Avril to start her character arc and not be this scared little girl anymore... and then it happened! The first third was hard because we just got done with a book where Avril was constantly in a state of being fragile and weak. Little did I know.. I just needed to be patient. The last two thirds? She KILLED it!! She is starting to become who I've been wanting to see!!! I really enjoyed getting more the men's povs this book because I like seeing what's going on in their heads and it gives us some insight on what's going on within the rest of the world. The end of book 2 is really gearing up for an epic book 3!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charlotte Battersby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I picked up book two as I really enjoyed Avril's development in this book! We can truly see her battle and spiral into madness, temptation and how it has twisted her original self. I did enjoy this change in Avril and how this new side of her has changed the dynamics with Titus, Valen and Bastian. The plot has kept me interested, the ending has me looking forward to the next book and it kept me reading, not able to put it down!

Valen is the one whose retained his compassion the most out of the three brothers. He has shown the rare few moments of true care for Avril's safety. Titus is still battling with his need for control and being his father's heir and the uncertainty of Avril and his father's situation grates at him. Bastian is still the mysterious one for me, we've learnt a bit more of his personality but he still has more he could reveal I feel.

Definitely recommend this book if you like dark, step sibling romance with magic as a twist!

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I still have mixed feelings about Avril, I’m still so invested in this wild, dark world Harlow’s created. The plot itself is solid — twisted, tense, and filled with dark magic, possessive MMC's, and impossible choices.

Avril is definitely showing some growth in this one compared to book two, which I appreciated. But she’s still letting these men walk all over her a little too much for my taste. That said, the tension between her, the stepbrothers, and Lucian keeps the stakes high, and the dangerous, forbidden dynamics are exactly what keep me coming back for more.

It’s a definite step up from the first book, and I’m excited to see where book three takes this chaos. If you love dark romance with possessive MMCs, betrayal, and a heroine fighting to find her strength, this series is worth sinking into.

[Shu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was better than the first but Avril is still letting the men walk all over her. Yes, she is slowly getting power but she’s constantly falling for the men’s tricks. Readers do get a few chapters from the men so it helps to see how they feel but it still felt like there wasn’t really a buildup of them falling for her. Pretty much stated they had feelings (not love) for Avril in their viewpoint chapters. Avril is either in her room, the library, dining room, garden on the estate, or mausoleum. Must be an introvert’s dream though because she doesn’t even see any of the servants in the house unless they’re sent to her room to bring her food or bring her to Lucian. Overall, the beginning was a bit slow but it picks up in the second half.

[Brandy Alamari · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of book 1 I hated EVERYONE. Now, I hate everyone a little bit less, but not significantly.
Some things are starting to clear up, and some things are getting more and more foggy. With one book left to go, there is still a while to go to get everything straightened out.
The eternal fight between good/evil, Light/Darkness, is the major theme of the series.
Its a war, and during war times there are casualties. And some things need to be done in the name of survival, but how far over the line can you go until you aren't fighting on opposite sides anymore?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle Peralta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Two of Wicked Heirs really shines through Avril’s transformation—her descent into madness and temptation adds depth and tension that kept me hooked, especially in the final third. While Avril’s growth is strong, the male leads still need more development to match her. Valen shows the most heart, Titus is torn by control, and Bastian remains a mystery. The slow burn romance is dragging a bit, but I’m still invested and curious about where it’s going. Solid 3.5–4⭐️ and looking forward to Book Three!

[Brooke Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 -4⭐️ Book 2 of the Wicked Heirs series - and I still have LOTS of questions. This one was very slow for me - I felt like it picked up in the last third of the book. I am enjoying the storyline and mystery behind Avrils background, her parents' deaths, and what powers she may present in book 3.

As for the romance, I am all for a slow burn but I am impatient with this one! I think we are finally starting to see the MMCs softening but I have high hopes for the guys showing up in book 3!

[Kelly Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb character and plot development in book two! Avril really comes into her own. I do however feel that the MMC's need further development to keep up with the heroine and some other side characters. I am still hooked enough to want to read more, so i'm hoping for more chemistry and a lot more steam in the next book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Erin Puritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt that this was better than the first book. There was an actual plot with a clear purpose. I also liked how Avril stopped being so innocent and helpless. However, the stepbrothers going from humiliating her to obsessing over her seemed a bit fast and insincere. However, I’m now interested to see how it will end.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, exciting, amazing!!!! Awesome story with tons of chemistry and well detailed steamy scenes. Possessive characters. Just the right amount of drama and suspense. I couldn't put it down. You NEED to read this book!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so twisty. Avril is a badass heroine with three very protective men in her life. They can’t seem to get enough of each other and fight threats together.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Booklvr89 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 is more than book 1. Now that the story is progressing im becoming more hooked. The character development has become more interesting. Im looking forward to reading book 3.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.