Mooncursed

The Drowned King #1

by Holly Renee

A cursed sea king, a stolen bride, and a fate meant for another.

They say madness dwells in the ocean's depths…and in the eyes of the Drowned King. Cursed to take a human bride and break her mind the moment she sees his face, the Drowned King spends his life in torment, watching. Waiting.

Lou was never meant to be chosen. Branded from birth as a saltwitch, she has always been seen as the cursed shadow of her moonblessed twin. Now, veiled and bound in marriage to a man she must never see, she's thrust into a life of ancient gods and unraveling fate…and unspeakable desire.

Yet even as fear becomes tangled with a perilous longing for the Drowned King's heated touch, the truth of her choosing looms over her like a siren's song. It rages louder with every breath she takes as whispers travel through the kingdoms: rumblings of war, of ancient goddesses awakening, of a queen with saltwater on her lips who will change everything.

There is no stopping fate, for though she was never meant to be chosen, the moon has already summoned the tide.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Adult, Forced Proximity

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 3, 2026

About the author

✨USA Today Bestselling Author
🤠 Cowboy Casual out October 7th

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorhollyrenee/
Join my Reader Group, Hollywood: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HollyRenee


🩷🤠COWBOY ROMANCE🤠🩷

Cowboy Casual | Coming October 7th


✨🌙⚔️FANTASY ROMANCE⚔️🌙✨

The Veiled Kingdom Series

The Veiled Kingdom
The Hunted Heir
The Rivaled Crown

The Stars and Shadows Series
A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows
A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal
A Kingdom of Venom and Vows
A Kingdom of Fire and Fate


🖤🫦CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE🫦🖤

The Boys of Clermont Bay Series
The Touch of a Villain
The Fall of a God
The Taste of an Enemy
The Deceit of a Devil
The Seduction of Pretty Lies
The Temptation of Dirty Secrets

The Good Girls Series
Where Good Girls Go to Die
Where Bad Girls Go to Fall
Where Bad Boys are Ruined

The Rock Bottom Series
Trouble with the Guy Next Door
Trouble with the Hotshot Boss}
[book: Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend

The Wrong Prince Charming
The Wrong Prince Charming

Reviews

[Sophie]

Me: Ooh, gorgeous cover.
Also me: Wait. I dnf’d this author’s last series.
Me again: This sounds so good tho. Ahh fuck it, i’m reading it.

Who knew I had so little self control? But listen I’m not mad about it.

First of all, I found this to be very atmospheric which immediately made me want to put on my headphones and listen to my favorite reading playlist. I was completely enthralled by the first chapters, just getting to know the world and how it worked.

Basically: a curse was placed on the royal bloodline, and whoever the Drowned King marries is destined to lose their mind. Except the King has refused to take a bride, and the curse is fighting back.

Now imagine the most powerful and uncontrollable force out there. Did you think about the sea? Because that’s what’s fighting back, and it’s devouring everything in its path. So he can either find a bride, or watch his entire kingdom drown.

Not much of a choice, is it?

Having that ticking clock makes for such a tense setup, especially once feelings get involved...

But that’s also where my main complaint comes in. Lou and Rune have maybe two or three interactions before things get heated between them. There’s definitely yearning and tension but… where did it come from? The romance is too half-baked for any of it to actually hit hard.

This book is already so short. I don’t get why it rushed through the romance instead of adding another 50 pages to let it breathe. Also, I don’t think I ever found out their ages. This is crucial information that I need to know, and it’s bothering me a little bit that I don’t.

I could rant about the FMC having zero survival instincts around the sea. Or how the writing got a bit repetitive. And how that ending was so underwhelming.

But even with all these issues, I can’t deny how much I enjoyed it. I was kinda skeptical going into this, but it ended up being way better than I expected.

─ ✦ ────

✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: dropped everything to start this. no regrets

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

[cat]

・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕

september 9th- somehow im being accepted for all my top arcs?! life is so good rn 😭 im so thankful

[Sarah]

I am quite impressed by the rich world building in this novella. I did not expect so much detail in just over 200 pages!

The pace of this book is fast right out of the gate. The story begins by following Lou, who is considered a saltwitch by her people. The community speaks of the curse of Aysu, in which a woman is claimed by the Drowned King and must follow him to his kingdom. It’s expected that she will be betrothed to him and fall into madness.

Right about then, I was mad 😂 What do you mean she’s basically being sent off to preserve a strange man’s kingdom?! Lou seriously has been through it. Her own people treat her as an outcast, and now she’s following this stranger to what will inevitably be her downfall.

The curse was wild. The story progresses in such an addictive way that makes Lou’s fate feel all the more dire. Add in the additional revelations and the growing tension between Lou and the Drowned King, and I was glued to the pages!

I did not want to put this book down, and I sure didn’t want to be left on a cliffhanger! I was so invested in this world and literally cannot wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Amelia]

From the first chapter and the first mentions of religious indoctrination and burning women at the stake for “witchcraft”, I knew I would be interested in this. Leave it to me to want to read every book about fighting against what you’re told to believe by zealots who accept no challenge.

“I wanted to shake this bullshit faith right out of her bones until she remembered what it was like to be alive.” I felt this one in MY boooooooones. “The priests taught that to look upon him was to invite madness, that the sea would crawl into the mind through the gaze and hollow it out piece by piece.” Ah yes, the priests making up bullshit with no proof or standing 🌚

This was my first Holy Renee book and I was so surprised by how descriptive her writing was. In my own stupidity, I assumed that because her books are short by my standards, the prose would be more utilitarian but that is what I get for assuming, making an ass out of myself. She really paints a picture of what’s happening that with normal people would create real visuals to add to the storytelling but guess who can’t see pictures in her defective brain? 😂 I really do feel that for the majority this would be a massive plus, but for me, it was very hard to stay in it an understanding what I’m supposed to be understanding. I really had to focus for a while to be able to follow what’s happening because my brain just cannot process a lot of details at once.

And sadly in the end this worked against me even further because I felt we were progressing in the book without meaningful events. The dialogue and interactions between Rune and Louisa were also not working for me at all, between the use of the diminutive “little” and just the formulaic “look at me I am big and mean”, all I wanted to do while reading their interactions was look away. I found the entire thing a bit too formulaic and like I’ve read these exact sentences a many times before.

However, while I was not in love with this story I think a lot of people will be as it’s fun, fast paced and romantic in its own way! My final rating is somewhere between 2 and 3 ⭐️ so I will be rounding up because I am actually interested in continuing.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!!

[catherine]

I really enjoyed this! It was such an immersive read and I loved the world Holly Renee created. The writing had a really magical and poetic style to it, especially with all the imagery surrounding the sea and the curse. The shorter length also made it a really fast paced and engaging read.

I loved how Rune and how protective he was of Lou and how determined he was to find a way to break the curse rather than accepting what was happening to her. Seeing how deeply he cared about his people and the lengths he was willing to go to protect them made me love his character. He’s also just a yearner so of course I love him.

I really enjoyed Lou and Rune together. There was definitely chemistry between them, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the book. My issue was that I wanted more from their romance. I would have loved more meaningful moments where we could see their connection evolve and deepen. I think that would have made their relationship feel so much more impactful.

That being said, I really enjoyed the story, the atmosphere, and the worldbuilding, and I’m interested in seeing where the series goes next. I’m really glad I got the chance to read this one, and that plot twist ending was crazy so I can’t wait to see what Book 2 brings!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Mooncursed 🌙🌊

[Katie’s Bookshelf]

3⭐️
This had an interesting enough plot to make me me pick it up but unfortunately didn't end up working great in my opinion. It somehow managed to be fast paced while also having not much happen?

The writing is also very lyrical and while beautiful, I found it hard to follow. So many instances of Lou hearing the ocean or dreaming of her mother's voice and stuff that I kept having to go back and check if it was real or not. Like half the writing was just the author waxing poetic instead of anything actually happening

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon Farley]

OMG! Just got the Free Read copy on NetGalley! 🔥Cant wait to see what Holly is bring us in this new world!💜

[Cara Harp]

Thank you Sourcebooks via NetGalley for this advanced copy!

An ancient curse, prophecy, and arranged marriage are all of my absolute favs! This has all of the ingredients to be a romantasy lovers dream. Seriously, 5⭐️ for the vibes, I was having such a good time! The back story with the twins and their upbringing hooked me immediately and the yearning and tension between Lou & Rune was so thick it honestly shocked me for how short this story is and I’m typically a slowburn girlie.

That being said, at about 60-70% it sort of fell flat and seemed repetitive with not much happening other than further tension growing between our main characters. And maybe that was intentional! However it didn’t keep my interest as much as the first half did regarding plot progression. I am excited to see where book two takes them because I really enjoyed the romance!

[Rachel]

What a stunning cover! That is what immediately dragged me in which is super fitting for a siren type of story. Reading the synopsis had me really excited to pick this up and I was lucky to get an eARC.

The setting was neat and lots of ocean vibes that I was here for with the bonus of fae as well! It opens with a fable about the world and a betrayed goddess. Louisa is setup to marry the fae king Rune after he takes her from her home in order to break the curse from the betrayed goddess. She is expected to be sacrificed after looking upon the Drowned King once bound to him. The imagery relating to tidemarks was cool, though I would have liked to know more about the magic and how it worked. I’m guessing there will be more to come in the next book!

Now unfortunately, this book wasn’t working for me. I found the writing to be repetitive and not much happened that made sense to me. A third of the way in and hardly a single conversation occurred between anyone. Halfway into the story we have a wedding between Louisa and Rune who haven't shared any real moments together and few conversations. Then that’s nearly followed by a full spicy scene together. I would have loved to see more scenes of them getting to know each other in order for me to feel like a relationship was forming between them.

There was a scene towards the end that was a nice group moment between the siblings and her where finally some details were shared about themselves, but I honestly don’t know anything deeper about any of the characters. We are told that Louisa is wild, yet I didn’t see that on page. She went along with almost everything she was told to do and didn’t ask questions.

I know this wasn’t a glowing review, but I still appreciate the chance to read this early. Of course I wish this would have landed better for me, but if you like ocean vibes and destructive goddesses then maybe give this a shot. I understand not every book is for me, so this could be for you! Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this book early!

[kelseys.inthelibrary]

3.5 ⭐️

A very typical Holly Renee book, fast paced, easy to read, and perfect for a quick romantasy fix. Because it’s so short, not much actually happens within the main timeline, so the plot feels underdeveloped.

That said, I really enjoyed the premise of the drowned Fae king being forced to marry a mortal bride. The atmosphere was one of the strongest parts of the story, and I loved how relentless the sea and the goddesses were in their pursuit of vengeance against the king’s bloodline.

Overall, it checked all the classic romantasy boxes. While it didn’t completely blow me away, I had a good time with it and will probably continue the series.

[Danielle Strona]

Thank you, Holly Renee and SourceBooks, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I need the next book in the series like yesterday!! That ending left me speechless, in the best way!

The story follows Lou, a woman who has been separated from her twin sister for years after their father abandoned both Lou and her mother. Branded a witch and banished from her community, Lou has resigned herself to being alone, but everything changes when the Drowned King arrives in search of his bride. At first, Lou's twin sister is offered to him. Instead, the Drowned King chooses Lou. Now, Lou is taken to his kingdom and is thrust into a world she never imagined. As she and the Drowned King are bound together by a curse neither of them chose, they must uncover its secrets while figuring out if they can trust one another, and whether they can change the fate that has been forced upon them.

I loved the world-building and how the whole world centers around the ocean. You are pulled right into the story, and it will have you captivated the entire time. This also feels like such a fresh new romantasy. This is a world that is easy to understand and combines curses and gods, which I loved. I still have so many questions that I am left wondering about, but I know I must wait for the next book!

I loved Lou and Rune had me swooning! They had so much chemistry, and I was rooting for them the entire time. I loved how Rune wanted to do anything to keep Lou from the curse and find a way to break it. He would do anything for the people he loves, as would Lou. They are both such selfless people that I couldn't help but admire their characters. I loved a yearning Rune! I couldn't stop giggling and kicking my feet!

I liked the pace of the book and felt like it all flowed together nicely. I loved that we got to see a little into Lou's past and how it's shaped her. Both she and Rune bring some baggage into their relationship, but they try to work through it. Once you are pulled into the world, you aren't going to be able to come back up! This is a book you will want to read in one sitting.

[Hilary]

4.5⭐️

✨ ARC REVIEW ✨

Romantasy Holly is back, baby!!

“The sea hungers for obedience, but nothing about you looks willing to drown.”

Mooncursed has such a unique concept with a super cool magic system and great characters. The plot was a tiny bit confusing at first, but once it picks up, I really loved what Holly did with this one!

What I loved:

🌊 Louisa is determined to survive the curse, despite a ton of conflicting emotions throughout. She wants to live, but also sees how her survival is threatening innocent people and eventually, the man she loves. Her circumstances are super complicated and I loved the inner conflict this created for her and for Rune.
🧜🏼‍♀️ The magic system is like nothing I’ve read before. We have a curse that creates a connection with the sea and its goddesses. A whole group of people who can essentially hold back the tides of the sea, and some bonding magic between Louisa and Rune. All very cool and kept my attention.
🌊 Holly’s imagery in this book is excellent. Lots of beautiful and haunting descriptions of the sea. The ocean is a devastating force and the way it’s depicted in this book could give anyone Thalassaphobia 🫠
🧜🏼‍♀️ The romance is SLOW (at least for a Holly Renee book lol) The two can’t even look at each other for fear of completing the sacrifice they’re desperately trying to avoid. So when they finally SEE each other…holy moly it’s an explosion and SO HOT. 🥵
🌊 I also liked the side characters quite a bit and hope to see more of Kaeli & Raden in book 2!
🧜🏼‍♀️ OH and that freaking cliffhanger!!?! I can’t believe that’s where we’re ending this and now have to wait foreverrrrrrrr 😭

“You cannot command the sea not to look at the shore.”

Pick this one up if you love sirens, great imagery, a romance FILLED with yearning, a unique magic system and one hell of a cliffhanger!

This one is out November 3rd, go preorder!!!

Thank you so much Holly and Sourcebooks for the early copy! I love being one of Holly’s Little Traitors 🫶🏻

“I was born to bear this curse, and if it costs me my soul, so be it. I’d give the sea my bones, my blood, my every memory so long as you’re the last thing I see.”

[Morgan]

“I could drown kingdoms and summon tempests, but nothing the goddesses ever made could match the way you destroy me.”

Dare I say that Holly put something magical in the water? Because the entire time I was reading this book? I could physically FEEL the ocean IN MY BONES. The imagery and atmosphere of this world were so well done. Almost to the point where I could SMELL the salt in the air.

“She held the same terrible beauty as the tempest above us. She was wild, unpredictable, and I could no more look away from her than I could ignore lightning striking across the sky.”

The entire premise of the book was so great. The story of the goddesses and the betrayal? It was visceral. Goddess Aysu is definitely flawed and considered a ‘villain’ by the world but to me she was a woman broken by the betrayal of the one she loved.

“You are devastating,” I whispered, my voice rough with restraint. “Like the sea carved you just for me.”

We get some answers in this first book but the overall plot is very much rich in mystery that will continue in book 2.

“And I knew as I watched her approach that I was witnessing my own ruin wrapped in moonlight and silk.”

Our tragic hero, Rune, was everything. He is a protector through and through. Very much a man broken by witnessing his mother be distinguished by the Aysu’s curse. He would destroy himself before he let Lou suffer the same fate. My heart broke for him, he was torn in so many different directions.

“I brought you here to save my kingdom, but I fear you may ruin us all.”

Lou was so fierce. Despite everything she endured by small minded people, she retained her flame. In the face of literally being a sacrifice, she stood tall in who she was. I can’t wait to see her shine more and more as the series continues.

“If this was the curse, then I never wanted to be free.”

The relationship between the leads developed slowly and way before they ever truly get to look at each other. There was so much YEARNING.

“Such a greedy little thing.”

Holly, we have to talk about that ending! IT WAS CRIMINAL! I need answers, STAT! 🤯 I have to many QUESTIONS, and I need to talk about this book. So readers, please hop in my DMs and let’s chat about Rune & Lou!

“I was not a sacrifice, not the broken twin, not a witch, not a daughter. I was a woman burning to be consumed by his gaze.”

Tropes:
🗺️ Romantasy
❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers
✨ A Curse & Prophecy
🌊 Goddesses & Sirens
🤭 Forbidden Romance
💍 Forced Marriage
❤️‍🩹 Tortured Hero
🔥 Slowww Burn

[Kaylee✨ (dailykayleereads)]

I had such a fun time with this one and it was my first ever Holly Renee book! I absolutely loved the premise of the curse and the drowned king having to marry a human bride who becomes a sacrifice because of the curse.

One of the strong points of this first installment in this series was how Holly builds such an atmospheric world through her writing and descriptive words. She definitely created an eerily beautiful coastal ocean fantasy vibe that I was absolutely obsessed with and is perfect for a summer into fall romantasy. It was also very easy to read and jump into!

I absolutely loved Rune and Lou together and their chemistry was undeniable and electric! I do wish it would have been dragged out longer to be more of a slow burn with more longing and yearning as there wasn’t a ton of buildup and tension before they got together. I love how selfless Rune is and how much he truly cares about Lou and wants to protect her but also his people and his struggle with this dilemma was truly captivating.

I can’t wait to continue this series and to dive more into this world and see what happens next! A big thank you to Netgalley and SourceBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

🌊 romantasy
🌊 enemies to lovers
🌊 forced marriage
🌊 stolen bride x cursed sea king
🌊 tortured hero

[Amanda Restaino]

Holly Renee… I knew that ending was coming, but how could you do this to me?!?! I need the next book immediately. Literally what am I supposed to do with myself? 🧍‍♀️

I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever read a book with language this beautiful. The way Holly writes about the sea, longing, love, and fate had me highlighting something every five seconds.

“They were lovers, bound as sea to shore. Constant in their ache, endless in their return. Their love lived in the in-between, meeting only once each year during Moonwake, when the sea reached for the sky and the moon dared touch her lover’s tide.”

“Don’t look at me.”
“You cannot command the sea not to look at the shore.”

“I wanted to hate him, needed to hate him, this king who’d condemned me to this fate. Yet something in me ached to trace those tidemarks with my fingertips, to understand the weight he carried beneath them.”

“If I was to drown, it would be in him. If I was to kneel, it would be only at his feet. Mine. The sound of his voice curled in my mind. Mine. It thundered through my bones, carving possession into my marrow.”

I would love a glimpse inside Holly Renee’s mind because it must be a wonderfully creative place. The entire mythology was so beautifully imagined. The atmosphere and world she created are on another level to the point where you can practically taste the salt and hear the waves.

And don’t get me started on Lou and Rune. THE YEARNING! The tortured, duty-bound king trying to save his kingdom while falling for the woman he may have condemned… exactly my brand of suffering.

My only complaint is that cliffhanger because it is CRIMINAL #callthecops 🚓

I’ll just wait here for the next book 🪑

Thank you to Holly Renee and NetGalley for the eARC!

[Sophie]

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy.

Bad review incoming. I actually can’t believe I finished this. Something was very off with this plot, world building, dialogue.

1. Dialogue. There wasn’t any. MMC and FMC had maybe 3 short conversations. She talked to his sister most and that was surface level at best. No connection or tension was built, they can’t keep themselves off each other after the few days this book took place. And then drops that they’re mates at 90%, I laughed out loud at how out of place that was.

The thing is, I can tell Holly Renee is good at writing from the very poetic style this book is in. I haven’t read any other of her work to know if this is typical.

2. World building. I usually don’t care if the world building is weak as long as the rest is strong. There was a map, 4 cities were mentioned, there was fae on one continent, humans on the other. There are 2 goddesses fully described off the jump in this book, and no others. Except the MMC, at the very end, says something like “I swear to all the gods”….so now there is more?? If it was mentioned somewhere and I missed it…sorry. This guy named Hazen was mentioned, and several times they needed his magic to help save the city….we never learned what his magic does.

3. Actually nothing happened in this book. I’m not even sure if the ending is a cliffhanger. We didn’t explicitly learn if Hazen was betraying the king. Idk and either way I don’t care.

Will not pick this up on release day or read any more Holly Renee.

[Michelle Brashars]

Holy hell, what a book. Mooncursed by Holly Renee is her newest romantasy and it has me in an absolute chokehold. I could barely put this book down. I felt so bad for our FMC Louisa, the queen that Rune was never supposed to take. She lived her whole life shunned and treated as a witch not worth anything. Cursed. Now she’s Chosen and supposed to sacrifice herself to the Drowned Vow to safe everyone from the sea’s wrath. Rune is also such a sad boy. He’s had the weight of the world on his shoulders his whole life and known he would have to take a bride and subject her to madness and death. These two have it bad for each other from pretty much the beginning. There’s SO MUCH yearning. Longing. Wishing things could be different. It’s so sad and emotional!! The curses and the magic in this book are so good!! I absolutely adore everything about this book. The writing and the storytelling hooked me from page one. I’ll be screaming at the top of my lungs for everyone who likes romantasy to pick this up!!! I’m already DYING FOR BOOK TWO!!!!!!!
Infinity stars!!

[ashlee ❤]

Lou + Rune

-mf fantasy romance
-enemies to lovers
-forbidden magic
-forced marriage
-stolen bride x cursed sea king
-a vengeful goddess

man do i love myself some holly fantasy!! it’s always gonna get straight to the point & then be hot but then also BAM. OPE. PLOT TWIST!! cause like what is going on here?!?! IDKKKK!! but i just need this crazy ass sea witch to leave my babies alone…mmkkkayyy!!

[Chaya Sara]

Thank you source and Casablanca books for giving me the opportunity to read this book on netgalley.
One word- wow, Next up- I NEED MORE. That was an absolutely amazing book. I will say though, the first 25% of the book was a bit slow. Once our main characters met it was all “bam bam thank you ma’am.” That ending was 👌, while not a deadly cliffhanger i definitely want book 2 NOW and don’t want to have to wait a year until I can read it.

[Mikaela]

Devoured this in less than 24 hrs. Got me out of a slump. Holly does it again, and I’m seriously obsessed.

[Michaela]

3.5 stars ✨
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
This was almost a 4 star for me, but some of it felt rushed and the two MC’s relationship a bit forced.
I will definitely continue the series but hope for a little better pacing!

[Heidi Facklam]

3.5 Thank you to Holly Renee and her team for the eARC of this book. I thought this was a good start to a new romantasy series. Since this book was the first book, it was a slow intro to the world and characters. I will say it was a little repetitive at times, but the ending of this one made me really excited for the next book in this series!

[_goldenchapter]

3.5⭐

First, thank you for Holly Renee, her team, and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy. This was my very first romantasy, and I’m glad I started with one by Holly because there’s just something about her writing that I love.

The story follows Lou, a young woman unexpectedly chosen to marry the mysterious and cursed Drowned King, Rune. As she’s pulled into a world of ancient gods, prophecies, and war, the two must navigate a fate neither of them asked for.

Since this was my first romantasy, it definitely took me a little while to understand the world and everything that was happening. It’s clear this first book is laying the foundation for a much bigger story, and there are still so many unanswered questions.

I did really enjoy Lou and Rune together. Their chemistry, longing, and connection were easy to feel. I do think some of their romantic development happened a bit suddenly, and I would have loved more interactions between them before their feelings grew as strong as they did.

That ending, though?! The cliffhanger definitely left me wanting answers, and I’ll absolutely be picking up book two. While I don’t think romantasy will become a genre I read often, this series has convinced me to stick around and see where Lou and Rune’s story goes.

[Jess (lucky.bookclub) Hilbert]

I need the next book immediately. Like… immediately. I would read another 600 pages of this right now without sleeping 😩✨

This completely pulled me in. It took me a little bit to settle into the world-building at the beginning, but once it clicked, I was in and could not look away.

Louisa is such a compelling main character. Defiant, a little wild, always set apart from everyone else, and constantly being pulled in directions she doesn’t fully understand. And Rune… the tension between them is absolutely palpable. You can feel it in every scene, that pull toward each other that neither of them fully trusts but can’t ignore.

The connection between them feels inevitable without being rushed, and the forced proximity just makes everything sharper. There’s this constant push and pull, not just between them, but with everything surrounding Louisa… the sea, the magic, the sense that something bigger is calling to her.

And the atmosphere?? So vivid. The way the sea is written, the borderlands, the contrast between where Louisa comes from and Rune’s world… it all felt immersive without ever dragging. I was completely captivated.

But that ending??? I am genuinely mad about it 😅 I was not emotionally prepared to be left there.

I’m obsessed. I need answers. I need the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 💕

[Andrea]

Mooncursed by Holly Renee, releasing on November 3, is a romantic fantasy novel following a lonely young woman named Lou. Branded an outcast in her small seaside community, Lou’s world is cursed by a vengeful goddess who demands a steep price: a young woman must be sacrificed to the waves, risking both her mind and her life in marriage to the Drowned King.

I have always loved Holly Renee's books because she is an absolute master of easily accessible fantasy. Her writing is traditionally descriptive enough to cement you comfortably in the world without ever bogging you down in dense, exhausting details. There isn’t anything wrong with dense world building (it absolutely has its own time and place) But let's be real, sometimes a girl just wants to be plopped down in the middle of a magical forest without needing spreadsheets and bar graphs just to keep the map and characters straight.

Mooncursed leans into a much heavier, more descriptive prose style than I’ve read from Renee before, but it is done in a way that beautifully enhances the setting and mood. The imagery is incredibly rich and heavy with atmosphere. It’s like being trapped in a storm, where the humid sea-air clings to your skin. You are instantly transported onto rugged, weathered shores. It’s like you can feel the power of the ocean rising off the pages. I was engrossed! If you are looking for a fantasy romance that completely pulls you under water and holds you there, this is it.

At its heart, this story drew me in completely through Lou. She is a lonely woman, shunned by her own family and village, who feels an undeniable, almost bonded connection to the ocean without ever understanding why.

🐚“The moment her gaze locked upon her king’s, the curse would stir from slumber, unfurling like seaweed in dark waters.”

Rune, the Drowned King, makes for such an interesting ruler; he is deeply determined to protect his people, yet entirely unwilling to commit another woman to the exact same tragic fate his mother suffered. I honestly would have loved even more of his point of view to delve even deeper into his complex motivations. You can truly feel how much he yearns to protect her, and if you throw in a great "my wife" moment, I will absolutely swoon.

🌙“and I knew as I watched her approach I was witnessing my own ruin wrapped in moonlight and silk.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and kept wanting to discover more about the world's hidden secrets while watching Rune and Lou’s relationship grow. Overall, I had a great time reading this. I do think some may find the world building and character development lacking if they’re looking for a more dense and submersive fantasy. I will be eagerly anticipating the next book.

🌊 “I brought you here to save my kingdom, but I fear you may ruin us all.”

💧Forced Marriage/Stolen Bride
💧Strangers to Lovers
💧Tortured Hero
💧Dying World
💧Ancient Curse
💧"I’d let the world burn for you" Energy
💧Slowwwww Burn
💧Cliffhanger
🌶️


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[TheBookPlatypus]

This is my first Holly Renee book and I absolutely loved it. Maybe it’s her writing style, but the way she described the settings was very lyrical and poetic almost. It was really beautiful. Her writing completely consumed me and put me right in the setting of the story.
It captured my attention right away.

A curse. A human girl. And a fae king.
Her fate is chasing her. The ocean is consuming her.. and the lands.

The ocean is angry and is rising and consuming all the lands killing everything in its path. A fae King must take a bride as a sacrifice to the angered gods.

Arranged Marriage.
Fast Paced.
A Deadly Curse.
The Ocean and the Moon
Markings and Fate.

I’m giving four stars only because there isn’t much romance. It’s pretty much insta lust. I would’ve really loved to see more tension and a slow burn. I needed more passion between the characters and more buildup with romantic relationship. There’s none.
It’s also a short book and I could’ve read so much more about this world! It does leave off on a cliffhanger. I am absolutely eager to continue this story. I will be one of the first ones raising my hand to read it!

[Danielle]

Thank you to Holly Renee & Sourcebooks Casablanca for the e-arc!! Opinions are my own.

WHOA! That cliffhanger!!! This story was wild. It went by so quickly, (it was a short read for me about 300 pages), but I swear I couldn't put it down. I actually read it twice because I didn't want to miss anything.
In the beginning I felt it was almost Salem witch trials, like where are the pitchforks?! and the need oozing from the sea, like I live near the shore, I hear it calling sometimes... but not like Louisa! I loved every second of this. I hope there is much, much more from this world. I was moved when Rune met Lou. Every second after I was hooked. I can't wait to learn more about the goddesses and the Mirrorborn twins. I love that there are intricacies and little details, like blink and you'll miss it... I do wish it was a tiny bit longer, but it is perfect for those who crave a romantasy and don't want to spend ages reading.
Racing for this gorgeous edition on pub day!

Tropes, etc:
Born enemies-to-lovers
Saltwitch x Drowned King
forced proximity
marriage to save a kingdom

[Mel | Hot Plots and One Shots]

Holly, respectfully, how dare you edge us like this?! I need book two ASAP! 😩

A Drowned King and a human queen take the stage in a new Romantasy from Holly Renne!
They're fated for failure-destined for doom. How can this be so hot and so sad at the same time?!

Read if you love (literally anything Holly writes, but also):
🌊 Forced Marriage
🌊 Insta-chemistry
🌊 He calls her "little witch"
🌊 She's fierce
🌊 He's rather emo
🌊 Mystery undertones
🌊 Forced Proximity
🌊 Fighting a Prophecy
🌊 World Building out the wazoo! 🤌
🌊 Slow Burn 🔥
🌊 He will drown the world for her

Favorite Quotes:
🌙 "You are devastating"
🌙 "Kneel for me, Louisa"
🌙 "When I fu*k you, Lou, it will be because you've come to me on your hands and fu*king knees and begged me to do so."
🌙 "...watching her was like breathing for the first time after a lifetime of being held underwater."

Thank you to Holly, Sourcebooks, and Lauren for providing an e-galley to Holly's Little Traitors!

[Aleksandra]

Thank you so much Sourcebooks for sending me this ARC!

3.5⭐️

Mooncursed is the first book in a Fantasy Romance series and it was a quick and fun read with many things I love in this genre. The author created a truly fascinating world I loved getting to know with interesting magic and curses and the fast paced plot has me unable to put it down. Lou and Rune were great as the MCs and I liked getting to know them, but due to the length of the book I felt like I couldn’t truly connect with them and the same can be said about the romance. I really liked them together, but their relationship went from first meeting to a few interactions to spicy scenes that made up a significant part of the second half of the book, I would have loved to see their relationship develop more and get some more scenes with these two. That being said I enjoyed this book, the plot was interesting and I liked the characters and the romance, but it could definitely be a bit longer which would let me connect better with this story.

[Laura Beth]

Mooncursed
4.25/5 stars
ARC Review
Publish date: November 3, 2026

Long ago, two goddesses were lovers and were only able to meet once a year on Moonwake. Aysu, born of salt and sea, and Neoma, born of woven light and shadow. They longed for an heir, but as time passed the longing slowly turned into something more painful.

Neoma turned her attention toward a mortal queen and blessed her with a son. Her betrayal
destroyed Aysu and drove her to madness, and led to a devastating curse.

Aysu did not curse Neoma or the queen. She cursed the prince and every heir that would inherit the crown.

As part of the curse every crowned heir must take a human bride to reflect what the goddess lost. But eventually the bride will lose her mind to the same madness that came from Aysu’s grief.

What to expect
-Forbidden romance
-Forced marriage
-Cursed sea king
-Siren goddess
-Sea witch
-Mirrorborn twins
-Tortured hero

Holly Renee continues to amaze me with how much she can pack into a shorter story while creating an intriguing world. I loved the world building and atmosphere she created.

The pacing was perfect and I finished it within 24 hours. I’m excited to see where this story goes next.

Thank you netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Holly Renee for the eARC of Mooncursed.