Bound to Ruin: A Steamy Why Choose Dark Fantasy Romance

The Cursed Grimoire #2

by S.E. Berkeley, Avery Caris (Narrator), Scott Rose (Narrator)

I am trapped by a nightmare of my own making. Will the men I love be my salvation… or my ruin?

Astoria thought she’d defeated the curse born of her hatred.

She was wrong.

It survived, twisting the last person she expected into a powerful, ravenous puppet. When he attacks, Astoria is torn from her world, leaving Lucas and Valen with only one chance to save her.

Lucas is reckless, devoted, and impossible to resist. Valen is cold, possessive, and responsible for a heart-wrenching betrayal. Choosing between them nearly broke Astoria.

Now, imprisoned behind a mirror, she can only watch as the two men she loves are forced back into close proximity. At first, rivalries reignite between Lucas and Valen. But as they hunt for a way to free Astoria, hatred sharpens into something hotter—something neither man is willing to admit.

Now, with time running out and loyalties threatened, one truth becomes impossible to

Some betrayals don't just break your heart.

They ruin you.

Full of delicious yearning, this series combines the dark seduction of the “why choose” trope in Jasmine Mas’ novels with Holly Black’s deadly, bookish magic.

Genres: Romantasy

Audible Audio

Expected publication October 12, 2026

About the author

S. E. Berkeley resides in California with her loving partner, feral children, and psychic cat. When she's not endlessly fetching snacks for small children, she enjoys hiking through her beloved state's wilderness and daydreaming of her next heart-pounding romantasy.

Reviews

[Nonfictionally Yours]

3.5 ☆

OKAYYYY MMF PERFECTION!!!! After the way the first book, bound to burn, ended, I immediately needed book 2 and it did not disappoint. We jumped straight back into where we left off and OMG I loved the fast pace of the plot. S.E Berkley knew exactly what she was doing when she plotted to trap Astoria behind the mirror and Lucas and Valen had to team up to save her. THE TENSION!!! THE SPICE!!!! I LOVED IT. I especially loved the fact that in book 1, we got to see Astoria with both of these MMCs, and this book focused more on building the relationship between the two MMCs. I loved seeing the past brought to light and it helped me understand the characters more. This had such high stakes and the plot really kept me on my toes. I love the magic system.

I do wish Astoria had more of a character development but I do understand why that wasn't fully there, if that makes sense.

Thank you so much Second sky books and SE Berkley for this eARC!!!

[K]

Bound to Ruin was a great conclusion to The Cursed Grimoire duology. I loved that we picked up immediately after the cliffhanger in Bound to Burn, and the fast pacing to kept me quickly turning pages.

What can I say? I love a why choose book with a dominant guy and the other two a little bratty. However, there was something about Valen and Lucas that had me wondering if Tor was completely necessary. She is also the cause of basically all of the chaos and trouble in both books, but she comes with Jinx, so I guess we’ll keep her.

Emilia was a great addition to the story. Her sass was a much needed comedic break, and I definitely wouldn't hate to see her get a spinoff.

Overall, I loved this fun duology! It gave me the chaos, romance, humor, and why choose dynamic I was hoping for.

Thank you to S.E. Berkeley, Second Sky and NetGalley for gifting this ARC.

[thebookish.dragon]

Format: 📱& 🎧
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Series: book 2 of 2 — The Cursed Grimoire duet

Bound to Ruin picks up almost immediately where Bound to Burn leaves off (rude cliffhanger, remember? I do 😩) - Valen left to go be a good little Daddy’s boy 🙄 while Astoria and Lucas grieve what could have been.

Astoria wakes up to a DEAD BODY in her bookshop, and rightly looses her mind over it (especially when she thinks it’s Valen for a second there - it isn’t, it’s actually his Dad 😬). As if she wasn’t already dealing with enough, trying to break her curse before it’s too late and discovering she sort of kinda turned her brother into an evil mf, she now has to figure out why someone would frame her for murdering a council member (oops?).

After confronting her brother again, Lucas is badly wounded and Astoria is entombed into a stone statue by her brother and her spirit is taken by her familiar, Jinyx, into the Weaving to protect her. Lucas must find Valen and team up to rescue Astoria and stop her brother and father from taking over the magical world and ruining the Weaving forever!

I really love that Lucas and Valen really take center stage in the sequel, with their girl being trapped a good portion of the book. Their romance, that was more centered on Astoria, was able to develop more in her absence and strengthen their relationship as a whole.

Overall, this was fast paced and emotional and a great end to the Duology. I had a great time!

The audio — Duet narration: Avery Caris, Scott Rose, and Jameson Adams; the actors really made each of their character’s so real and three dimensional, giving depth and range that I’m definitely going to look out for in the future!


Notable tropes & themes —

📖 Dark Romantasy
🐈‍⬛ Why Choose
📖 MMF
🐈‍⬛ Hurt/Comfort (consensual sub)
📖 Multi-POV
🐈‍⬛ Curses & Deadly Magic
📖 Evil Family Members trying to unalive her
🐈‍⬛ Talking cat familiar (demon)
📖 Complex Magic System
🐈‍⬛ Morally Gray everyone
📖 Betrayal + Second chances

I received this eARC from Second Sky and ALC from Bookouture Audio | Second Sky as an opportunity to read, listen and give my honest review.

[Megan]

Thank you to Second Sky for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I am trapped by a nightmare of my own making. Will the men I love be my salvation… or my ruin? Astoria thought she’d defeated the curse born of her hatred. She was wrong. It survived, twisting the last person she expected into a powerful, ravenous puppet. When he attacks, Astoria is torn from her world, leaving Lucas and Valen with only one chance to save her. Lucas is reckless, devoted, and impossible to resist. Valen is cold, possessive, and responsible for a heart-wrenching betrayal. Choosing between them nearly broke Astoria. Now, imprisoned behind a mirror, she can only watch as the two men she loves are forced back into close proximity. At first, rivalries reignite between Lucas and Valen. But as they hunt for a way to free Astoria, their hatred sharpens into something hotter—something neither man is willing to admit. With time running out and loyalties threatened, one truth becomes impossible to ignore: Some betrayals don't just break your heart. They ruin you.

It felt a little as though Astoria didn’t get a great deal of development in this sequel because of her predicament which felt like a shame. I loved seeing her relationship with Jinx - may we all have a familiar who is part of us in many ways - but I was really hoping for significant development with her men and felt a little bereft in this area. I still enjoy her sass and her sarcasm, but part of me hoped to really see her vulnerability and her leaning on those she loved more.
Lucas and Valen feature prominently here and whilst I thoroughly enjoyed getting to read from their perspectives, I wanted just a smidge more from them. We see a lot of their past trauma come to light and we do see them battle against it, but I felt a little like the big heartfelt moments were cut short and swept away by the plot. Let me have my dangerous and hunky men have their vulnerable moments!!

I’m not sure what it was, but I found it a bit more difficult to connect to this book. For the first book, it was demolished within 3 sittings, capturing my attention and refusing to let go. The sequel didn’t give me the same rush and I, far too often, found myself distracted by something else. The writing felt a little repetitive at times despite the different viewpoints which is where I think it lost me a bit. I felt as though the characters’ individuality was compromised in a way and blended together a little too much. However, I did like that we got expanded knowledge of the complex magic system and that it added significant depth to the story we already knew. I do wish we had a little more character development for our leads with this being a sequel but could understand the focus being on the unfolding plot. The hero here was the romance and I soaked it all up. I really enjoyed seeing the relationships solidifying more and more before bonding together as a trio. The accompanying spice to it as well was top notch. I do think the ending was a bit rushed considering how high the stakes were throughout the book. That said, the epilogue did leave everything on a warm note which was really nice.

Overall, Bound To Ruin is a book that sadly didn’t entirely meet my expectations.

⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you again to Second Sky for an advanced copy of this book.

[Eternity's Raven]

Firstly, a huge thank you again to S.E Berkley and Second Sky Books for the opportunity to ARC read Bound to Ruin. I am writing this review completely for free and of my own thoughts and opinions.

I thought this book was an enjoyable follow-up to Bound to Burn and a good wrap up to the duology. There were a few different ways this book could have went and I was pleasantly surprised by the direction it took.

This book puts you right into the action from where book one left you and it doesn't really stop. You're hooked in from the word go and it made this read up super quickly.

I liked the expansion of the magic in this book, which is something I had hoped to see after reading book one and I found this book added a nice bit to the lore of the world and expanded a bit upon how Magicians work and how weavers threads function. Plus I loved seeing more of Lucas's particular magic.

The relationships in this were also expanded upon nicely, particularly in Lucas and Valens case which I really enjoyed, them getting so much time together made their reactions to each other a lot more plausible and I liked seeing their tender care for each other beyond the flirty arguing.

I thought Astoria had some good character growth in places through this book, finding she was a lot more self aware of when she was running from things and becoming swifter at stopping herself from doing it. While she still had moments of hesitation, she was trying her best and I still thoroughly enjoyed her as a FMC.

Overall this was a fun read that kept me engaged from the first page and reads up quickly as you want to see how the story ends.

[Nawelle Feral Reader Books]

3.75 stars

After THAT cliffhanger in Bound to Burn, I needed answers, and Bound to Ruin throws you straight back into the chaos and barely lets you breathe.

This was such a fast-paced and satisfying conclusion to the duology. I especially loved getting deeper into the magic this time around — learning more about the Magicians, the weavers and their threads, and seeing more of what Lucas can actually do.

But Lucas and Valen were probably my favourite part👀 Giving them more time together allowed all that history, resentment and tension between them to develop into something much more emotional. I loved seeing the softer side of their relationship alongside the arguing and spice. I only wish we’d had a little more time with all three of them together!

And poor Astoria genuinely cannot catch a break 😂 I really enjoyed her growth, though, particularly seeing her become more confident in her abilities and more aware of when she was running from things.

There’s danger, betrayal, murder plots, magic, spice and a deliciously complicated MMF relationship. A few elements felt slightly rushed for me, but overall this was an addictive conclusion that kept me flying through the pages.

And that epilogue?! 👀

Thank you to Second Sky and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lo's Bookstagram]

Book 2 jumps right back into it! Bound to ruin is an excellent follow up to Bound to burn. The stakes are even higher, the spice hits, and the plot is just as good as the romance. If you love dark romantasy then this is a great series to start before book 2 releases on October 12th. The magic system is unique, the plot is fast paced, and the twists/turns will keep you on the edge of your seat reading this book!

Thank you second sky and netgalley for the eARC!

[Stacy]

Story Rating is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for this posting.
This story picks up exactly where book 1 leaves off. The FMC is feeling heartbroken that her first love once again seems to have chosen the order over her. Things aren't all bad though because her and Lucas have finally crossed over the line from friends to lovers and she is finding a genuine connection with him that is filling a void she's felt these past seven years. Things of course can't be all rainbows and sunshine though for our FMC. She instantly realizes that her brother is not as gone as she thought he was, and now his soul has been warped into a hideous being combined with her brother's desire for his own revenge and the evil spirit of the curse she herself created. Without giving away details, our FMC becomes trapped in a realm where she must face some challenges on her own. This leaves her two love suitors to seek support from one another to save her. This inevitably breaks down their own trust barriers and through forced proximity their feelings continue to grow for one another. This story is MMF, and there is more focus on the MM relationship development in book 2 in my opinion. The three must break down their own misconceptions, learn to trust one another, and all while staying alive and away from Alister's malicious world ending plans. No sweat. Overall, this was a fun lighthearted read. Lucas is definitely the comic relief to the other two in this trio and his character was much appreciated and added in the banter.

Narration rating is a solid 4 stars.
I thought the female and male narration was done well for this story. I truly appreciate that the male narration had two distinctive voices and tones set for the two main male characters! The lighthearted loveable nature of Lucas was executed well and it was easy to fall right into the story. There was also a nice separation of voice for the evil brother. This helped not be confused at any point when there were multiple males speaking within a scene. There was also heartfelt heartbreak and sadness that could be felt through the narrative performance. Between reading the book and the audiobook, I recommend the audiobook.

Thank you to author S.E. Berkeley, NetGalley, and Bookouture Audio /Second Sky for allowing me to be a part of the ARC and ALC teams. #BoundtoRuin #NetGalley #SEBerkeley #TheCursedGrimoireSeries

[TheNevraEndingStory]

Astoria has kept many secrets throughout her life, including the curse she cast out of hatred. She thought she had defeated it, but the consequences of that mistake continue to follow her and eventually tear her away from the two men she loves, Lucas and Valen. Valen may have left them in the past, but the feelings among all three still linger. As Lucas and Valen attempt to work together to save Astoria, old emotions and unresolved tensions quickly resurface.

When I first became interested in this book and realized it was Book 2, I immediately went back and read Bound to Burn first, which I loved. I am very glad I did because Bound to Ruin begins right where the first book ends, with Valen gone and Astoria and Lucas attempting to move forward without him while taking care of the bookshop, Peripeteia. This is definitely a series that should be read in order.

The first third of the book focuses more on Astoria and Lucas before shifting largely to Lucas and Valen as they work to save her. I would have loved more scenes with all three of them together throughout the story because their shared dynamic is one of the most compelling parts of the series. However, I can also understand why the author separated them and gave their individual relationships time to develop before bringing everything together.

Overall, I enjoyed Bound to Ruin. Astoria is finally forced to confront many of her past mistakes and the consequences of the curses she created. The stakes remain high, and there are several deaths throughout the story, with one loss in particular hitting especially hard. Even so, the larger storylines wrap up well, and the ending left me satisfied.

The author also offers a bonus chapter to readers who join her mailing list, so definitely check that out if you want to remain in this world a little longer.

Bound to Ruin releases on October 12, 2026.

Thank you to the author, Second Sky, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Cennet]

TL;DR: I already loved these three, but getting two male narrators for Lucas and Valen this time? MY GOD. I did both the ebook and audiobook for Bound to Ruin, and I loved having these voices in my ears while everything unfolded.

Avery Caris is perfect for Astoria, as usual. I love her in this role, and having Scott Rose and Jameson Adams narrating alongside her made me so happy. Lucas and Valen each having their own voice added so much to their scenes together. The arguing, the flirting, the tension. I was thoroughly enjoying the boys on the page, but hearing them too? 😍

I listened at 1.5X when I was just listening and 2X when I was reading along. Both worked well for me, and this was such a fun one to do as an immersive read. My notebook is full of me panicking over these characters, laughing at their banter, and pausing to acknowledge that something was very, very hot.

There’s also so much tenderness underneath all that teasing. Lucas has my heart, especially in the way he understands Astoria and loves her through the hurt she carries. Those moments mattered just as much to me as the spice, and I loved experiencing them through the narration.

S.E. Berkeley had me STRESSED about where this story was going, but I love how it all came together. I’m so attached to Astoria, Lucas, and Valen, and Avery Caris, Scott Rose, and Jameson Adams made spending more time with them even better.

Thank you to NetGalley, Second Sky & Bookcouture Audio for this ARC/ALC in exchange for my honest feedback!

[Ella Iversen]

First i would like to thank S.E Berkeley and her publishing team aswell as NetGalley for letting me listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start by saying this is how you do a love triangle. These two books were so well weitten and the relationships were everything I've ever wanted. (Please take now *cough cough* Alex Aster ) the storyline was fun but also very evolved and it felt so original to hear.

I had a bit of an issue in the first book figuring out the magic system but this book cleared it all up. The way it works was also so interessting and unique. I was so impressed by the way the author came up with the weave and the different type of magic. The whole section of the book when the main character Astoria was explaining the history and magic system was so informative in a cool way. It didn't feel like she was info dumping instead it felt very intergrated to the storyline.

Also this book has tripple POV!!! One pov for each "loveinterest". I love when you get more than one pov because it adds so much to the story. Understanding how one is percieved and how your actions shape other characters!


This book/this series is perfect for people that enjoy the Lightlark series by Alex Aster (the characters resemble eachother a lot!!), ACOTAR and Shatter Me!!

[Blaire]

What a satisfying conclusion to the Cursed Grimoire duet! This story is winding and twisty and I enjoyed every bit of it. This is how you do a paranormal/romantasy why choose.

This picks up right where Bound to Burn leaves us. Tori’s curse and her creature rage on to the detriment of Valen and his family. A series of bloody events and a new bad guy ends up with Tori in stone, literally, and Valen and Lucas working together to save her. A shining example of both forced proximity and found family.

Where this story really hit for me was the relationship development between Valen and Lucas. I absolutely love when the boyfriends are boyfriends and this one was oh so delicious. But along with the spice and the steam came character growth that I didn’t expect from both our weaver and our magician. Again these two finding a way to grow and solidify their love for each other was my most favorite part.

The fight to save their world and each other was a satisfying end to the story even if parts were sad and made me misty eyed. The epilogue alone was worth the turmoil. If you’re looking for a tension filled, steamy why choose with all the best magic look no further.

What’s inside:
- MMF why choose
- magic wielders at war
- forced proximity
- sword crossing
- animal familiar
- sentient books
- they save each other

[Beesbooks02]

Bound to Ruin By S.E Berkeley
Release date: 12th October 2026
Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶
Book 2: The Cursed Grimoire
3.5 ⭐️

🅃🅁🄾🄿🄴🅂
🖤 Romantasy
✨️ Why Choose (MMF)
🖤 Curses
✨️ Morally Grey MMC

“𝕐𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕞𝕪 𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕋𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕕𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦.”

Literally a perfect why choose there's no other way to describe it! S.E Berkeley knows how to make us want to be the MFC because to be between Lucas and Valen is a dream! (Where do I sign up!)

After the diabolical ending of book 1 (Bound to Burn) I knew I needed book 2 immediately and its satisfied my need for it! The under deniable tension and yearning that was filled the majority of this book made it so worth it. The plot just kept getting twisty and will have you on the edge and praying that all the characters will come out alright in the end! S.E Berkeley has written a worthy why choose romantasy duology that is spectacular

Do I think there was something missing from this one? A little bit! I felt like Astoria could of had a bit more character development and did i find it a tiny bit slower than the first one? Yes but the twists and the relationship development between Lucas and Valen made it worth it. Overall, this duology will be one I'll recommend to others.

Thank you to secondskybooks and Netgalley for gifting me this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[❤️Tina❤️]

“𝑰 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆.”

Tori is living my dream! How I'd love to be the filling in that Lucas and Valen sandwich 🫠

It was great to be in this world again, after the dramatic ending of book one, this one throws your straight in to the action as new dangers reveal themselves and everything comes to a head.

It was fast paced and keeps you locked in with the brewing conflict, betrayals and murder plots! Alongside all that is the romance and spice, this book upped the game with that part, the tension between then all was delicious but especially Valen and Lucas, I did a mix of audio and ebook but their scenes were definitely called for audio 🥵 I love when the boyfriends are boyfriends too!

If you're looking for a why choose, fast paced duet with a great blend of plot and spice then I suggest you add these to your tbr!!
And if you enjoy an audiobook I'd highly recommend giving it a listen, the narrators did a great job of bringing the characters to life!

I devoured this in one day, it was a great end to the duet, especially with that epilogue 👀

Thank you Second sky books for the advance copy for review 🫶🏻

[Dana Gaubatz Grattan]

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an Advanced Listeners Copy of Bound to Ruin - The Cursed Grimoire Book 2 by S.E. Berkeley. I had not listened to book 1 in this Duology so I went ahead and did that first since this one was a continuation of the storyline!
I will start by saying cheers to S.E.Berkeley for giving us a quick rundown of people and places in the very beginning of Book 2! Even though I had just finished book one it was still super helpful and I firmly believe all books should do this if it is a continuous storyline through multiple books!
I absolutely loved this series! The storyline was compelling and made me what to keep listening to see what would happen next. It is definitely one you have to pay attention to even the small details because missing one meant missing something bigger. The why choose aspect was absolutely perfection! Was expecting more of a love triangle and happy it was not that.
The narration was by Avery Caris (Who solo narrated book 1), Scott Rose, & Jameson Adams. They did an amazing job of having this story come to life!
I will absolutely be recommending this book to everyone!

[Lyra]

thank you second sky for this opportunity to get to finish the cursed grimoire series early!!

why choose is one of my favourite tropes, i know you have probably heard me say it so many times already, but it doesn't make it any less true. i keep enjoying it so much and with every book i find something new to love about it!!

bound to ruin continues from where bound to burn leaves us, and keeps the same fast pace we got familiar with in the first book! something is always happening and the spice is even hotter!

I love when the main love interests keep their chemistry through book 2, and here they definitely did! the flirting was wonderful, there was tension, there were hot moments!! and then they all got their happily even after!!

the magical plot was very intriguing in this book as well, and i love how much new we got to learn still!! the world seems so cool and im a bit sad it won't be continuing to another book!!

all in all, i very much enjoyed this ending to the series and i can very much recommend both of the books ❤️

[Entisar Ali]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This picks right back up where book one left off, and the stakes feel noticeably higher this time around. Astoria trapped behind the mirror while Lucas and Valen are forced into uneasy proximity gave me exactly the tension I wanted, watching their rivalry slowly shift into something more complicated was genuinely compelling. The why choose dynamic works well here, both men bring real chemistry and distinct personalities, Lucas reckless and devoted, Valen cold and guarded by his own past betrayal, and their reluctant partnership to save Astoria adds a layer beyond just romantic competition. The spice level delivers too. The magic system continues to feel unique and the plot moves at a fast, engaging pace with twists that kept me hooked throughout. A strong sequel that raises the emotional and physical stakes, and a solid pick for anyone into dark romantasy with a why choose core.

[Rachel]

This is the second book in the Cursed Grimoire series. If you haven’t read Bound to Burn yet and you think a steamy, witchy, why-choose romance might be your thing then save this post, go read book one, and then come back here when you’re ready.

Book two picked up straight from the end of book after we left Astoria in her book store having just found a mutilated body. We are thrown in at the deep end with Astoria spiraling while she figures out who the body was and if her corrupted self was the murderer.

When Astoria becomes trapped in a statue, Lucas and Valen need to work together again to save her.

Book two is filled with lots of steamy romance and more high stakes action. We delve deeper into the complex magic system and spend most of the book just praying that these three get their throupley ever after.

If you loved Bound to Burn then I think you’re going to enjoy the conclusion to the duology just as much.

[Ashley]

What a ride S.E. Berkeley takes us on in Bound to Ruin. The stakes were high and Lucas and Valen will do whatever it takes to save Astoria. Thank you Second Sky for my eARC!

Astoria heartbroken by Valen and thought she broke her curse but is instead torn from her world, unable to reach Lucas and Valen except through the other side of a mirror as they work together to free her.

I loved getting to see Valen open up in this one and stop denying the way he feels for Lucas and Astoria. We see him work through his feelings of betrayal and Lucas shows him that though Valen has known Tori most of his life, he doesn’t see what she has had to overcome.

Lucas will stop at nothing to save Tori, even it means putting himself in harms way and reliving the past all while trying to heal the hurt he felt from Valen’s rejection as well.

Seeing them all grow together and the love that they have for one another is beautiful and it was a satisfying end to their story.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Shénagh]

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5 stars

The story of Astoria, Lucas and Valen continues, and whilst I still enjoyed the main premise and found the overall plot easy enough to follow, I did feel like there was just a little too much thrown into this one.

There were quite a few intimate scenes, mostly MM, that at times felt like they had been dropped in simply to tick a trope box rather than actually add anything to the story. The multiple POVs also felt unnecessary in places and, for me, took away from the main storyline rather than adding to it.

I feel a bit conflicted writing this one because I enjoyed book one so much that maybe I just expected more going into this. That said, I still enjoyed the main story and the surrounding plots, and there was enough there to keep me reading.

Overall, a solid 3.5 star read and I’m still invested in seeing where Astoria, Lucas and Valen’s story goes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this as an ARC.

[Allyson Khaw]

Oh how to start. This duology was perfect. I adore these characters and the world building....Woah. I love so many aspects of this story but let's start with the magic. In book one, we didn't really see much into the true depth of their magic and the capabilities of both the weavers and the magicians. But in this book we got so much more of that and I love it.

The character development for Astoria, Lucas and Valen was so refreshing. We got to see more into Lucas and Valen's heads in this book and it's so rewarding. Getting into their minds is so fun and I just love them. We also got to know so much more about Jinx and I love that. And yes, some people might say that this is smut with barely any plot, IT'S NOT. (Also, can we take a moment to appreciate the spice.) The plot was there. And the plot was soundproof. And the plot was amazing. Overall loved this book so much, but that ending...I need more. I need to know how long they have. I need more. I NEED MORE.

[taytayyreads]

Thank you to NetGalley, Second Sky, and Bookouture Audio for the ARC & ALC 🕷️✨

First and foremost, the multicast, multi POV narration was wonderful. I adore Avery Caris and she knocked it out of the park again.

Bound to Ruin is another round of chaotic, grimoire, spider soul magic, curses and a spicy MMF romance. I’m really surprised this series isn’t more popular!!

This picks up right where we left off at the end of Book 1 so the glossary at the front is a good refresher.

This was unexpectedly dark and twisty! The main romance in book 2 is centered on developing Lucas and Valen’s romance, which I really enjoyed as that was one of the aspects I wished there was more of in book 1. Full of banter, tension, and past trauma. It all came together! (Literally lol)

Read for:
Kitty cat familiar
Grimoire & Soul Magic
Court politics
2nd Chance Romance
Friends to Lovers
Reluctant Allies to Lovers
Slutty Banter

[Amy Wearmouth]

There were some genuinely good elements here as the magic system, romance and world building all had plenty of potential. Unfortunately, the execution felt rushed, which meant that some of those stronger ideas never quite had the opportunity to land.

Archetypes absolutely have their place in fantasy, but when character choices start to feel unrealistic, or the villains veer into campiness, it takes away from the tension and allure of the story. I wanted to feel more invested in the danger and the characters, but too often I found myself questioning the decisions rather than being swept up in them.

That said, it was enjoyable and very bingeable. I flew through it, even if I suspect it won’t stay with me for very long.

[Jen Wycech]

Dark WHY CHOOSE romantasy
Rivals-to-??? 👀
1 Possessive MMC
1 Reckless, devoted MMC
Betrayal & delicious yearning
Curses + deadly magic
Forced proximity
“I love them both” energy
Multi POV - 1st person

Dual narration - Avery Caris as Astoria, Scott Rose as Lucas, Jameson Adams as Valen
Great narrators for this intriguing story.

Book #2 The Cursed Grimoire duology

A good continuation of this story. I enjoyed the book and the writing style. It was easy to follow, and I found the world building to be easy to picture. The characters were developed well. The story was captivating and entertaining.

Overall, this was a good book. The narrators were a pleasure to listen to.

Thank you S.E. Berkeley, Bookouture, and NetGalley for this ALC.

[Kristy]

Thank you, S.E. Berkeley for the eARC! 💕

The the second and final book of The Cursed Grimoire is action packed and character driven. 🔥

Bound to Ruin starts right where Bound to Burn left off, with Astoria finding a body in her shop. But things are a bit of a blur, and she's not sure how the body got there... 😬 it all seems to be some sort of trap, but she cannot be sure without confronting Valen. But facing him so soon after he left them is not something she's ready for, and Lucas ends up being stuck between them, haunted by his past.

I just love the relationships in this. S.E. did such an amazing job making Astoria, Lucas, and Valen fully fledged characters with troubled backstories, unique personalities and a full range of emotion. ❤️‍🔥

[Brittni Shafer]

This duology was absolutely insane! The drama was so intense and had me on the edge of my seat. It felt a lot like the chilling adventures of Sabrina vibes wise and I literally need a tv show based off this! Its wickedly dark and delicious and so banter filled. I loved it. Astoria was unfortunately.. wrapped up in something major so this was mostly the guys finding their bond and I really enjoyed their reunion. I would have loved to have seen more of this world but I did still enjoy that it was more relationship heavy. The end had me wanting just one more scene buttttt I'm just a greedy reader hahaha there was a lot of goodness here!

Thank you netgalley and S.E. Berkeley for the arc

[Nat]

After Bound to Burn left off on such a cliffhanger I was desperate to get my hands on Bound to Ruin! It jumps straight in where we left off with a fast paced plot. There is definitely more focus on Lucas and Valen’s relationship this time around. There’s also great development especially for Valen, but I would have loved to have seen more for Tori too. It would have been great to see the three of them together a little more but tension and spice with Lucas and Valen definitely made up for it. We also got to learn so much more about the characters and world’s history which was great. Overall, this was such an easy read and was so action packed, and the epilogue leaves the story on such a high note!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melissa Givens]

Thank you Second Sky & Netgalley for opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book, it was a great follow up to book one!

I loved that it was fast paced and it didn't feel drawn out. There was always something happening on every page that kept it fun to read.

I didn't know how I'd feel about the three of them being seperated again and the cliffhanger of book one. It was almost too much! I don't want to spoil the book for anyone but I ended up happy with the story despite all the sad things, there was a lot of good in there too. The uniqueness of the magic system is a bonus. It's fun to not know what to expect!

[Clairelettersandmore]

Bound to Ruin was a really enjoyable audiobook. I loved getting back into the dark fantasy world and seeing where the story went after the first book. There was plenty of magic, danger, spice and, of course, some very interesting men to keep things entertaining! 😂
The why-choose romance worked well for me, and I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters. Avery Caris, Scott Rose and Jameson Adams also did a great job with the narration and brought the characters to life.
I definitely enjoyed this one, but it didn't quite hit five stars for me. Still, a solid four-star listen and I'm curious to see where the series goes next.

[SAMANTHA.]

3.75✨️.
Audiobook 🎧.

If you're looking for a quick, seriously enjoyable, magical, why choose -- look no further. This duology is for you. ✨️

We have just enough conflict to hold attention and grow the storyline, without feeling like there are missing pieces. While the pacing is a bit uneven at times, it never lost my attention. I did slightly miss Astoria in some of the scenes with Lucas and Valen, but I loved that they were able to breath together, too. 😘

And, as an audiobook three narrators made me feel spoiled. ✨️👌🏽 They did such a great job!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Second Sky for this ALC.