Cursed

by Tracy Goodwin

Dangerous prophecies. Forbidden love. Limitless power. Magic always demands a sacrifice. Tessa Egan is destined to die! When her powers as a witch are awakened, when she is hunted like so many before her. There is one problem: she doesn't believe in destiny. Fighting for her life, her survival places her on a collision course with a centuries-old conflict between species, a corrupt hierarchy that will do anything to destroy her, and the realization that her past was never what it seemed. Then there's the prophecy that proclaims she will become the most powerful witch her enemies have ever encountered. The mere promise of such dominance sends legions after her, as she struggles to master her abilities and win a war against forces far more sinister than she. Adding to her already complicated life is a commanding guardian named Alec and his mysterious half-brother, Josh. The Prophecy of the Guardian's Mark claims "Only a Guardian's soulmate can see the Guardian's mark." Why can she can see both Findlay brothers' marks? Why is Josh's the opposite of Alec's, evoking anguish and fear? As Tessa faces an evil unlike any she could have imagined, she learns the most dangerous lesson of them all ... magic always demands a sacrifice.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal

355 pages, Paperback

Published May 11, 2017

About the author

Tracy Goodwin is the USA Today bestselling author of steamy hockey romances and captivating romantic comedies. In addition, she pens sweeping historical romances, uplifting MomComs, and vivid urban fantasies. Though the genres may be different, each story delivers her unique blend of passion, poignant emotion, humor, and unforgettable characters that steal readers’ hearts.

A New Yorker who now calls Houston home, Tracy is the mom of two, a wife, and the wrangler of two dogs, two cats, and lots of chaos. She also loves music and sings carpool karaoke (even when alone).

To receive the latest news and information about upcoming releases please go to her website www.tracygoodwin.com where you can sign up for her newsletter or follow her on Bookbub and/or social media by clicking the icons.

Reviews

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

"Cursed" is the first book in a promising series, featuring two very strong males trying to protect a female coming into her own powers.

Read full review in the 2017 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cursed is the first book in the Shadow Souls series. At first sight, it seems to be quite a promising paranormal romance series. I must confess, at first, I was a little worried that the plot will fall into a thousand of clichés. After all, a lot of books talk about powerful heroines that fall in love with their guardians. Nothing new there, right? Nevertheless, I am pleased to tell you all that it delivers exactly what it promises and more. The author had some clichés here and there but who doesn’t love classics? Besides I believe she did an awesome job using a general theme people love and making it her very own with some twists here and there.
This novel tells the story of Tessa Egan, a witch that just found out she is one. Honestly, I jumped from surprised to doubtful and back again when I read how she could use her powers with such easiness even when she is just a newbie. I don’t mind geniuses but maybe I got a little jealous of the girl. I don’t believe many people would be able to relate with her if she is made too powerful in such a short amount of time and easy way. Then again, I guess I understand the reasons the author had for her to be the way she is. She was suddenly attached by almost all the supernatural world after just getting her powers. Of course, she would need a lot of strength and an army to defend herself. Too bad she only got two bodyguards, but what bodyguards!
I am amazed by the level of acceptance of Tessa. Honestly, I might now have been as understanding in her situation. Suddenly, everyone wants to kill her because she holds too much power and a little after she is supposed to find out who her soulmate is. Of course, fate had to complicate things even more by sending her two possible candidates and then turn things around to hurt her even more. I must say I was as hurt as our female lead with some of the twists. The again, without them there would be no story to tell.
I will be anxiously waiting for the sequel. Even though several of my questions were answered in this book, some weren’t. Don’t worry, this book doesn’t have a huge cliffhanger, it just indirectly tells you there is much more in Tessa’s story that will be later presented to the reader. I highly recommend this novel to any paranormal romance fans that have a soft spot for dangerous prophecies, forbidden love, capricious fate and a power that has never been seen before.
Reviewer of Romance Authors That Rock
4 ❤

[Gerry Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most teens look forward to their eighteenth birthday. It means prom, high school graduation, and looking forward to college. Not Tessa Egan. Instead, that birthday begins a curse for this daughter of witches. She’s being hunted and will face death if she can’t defend herself successfully. She’s trained for this ordeal but she’s sure to be outnumbered. Fortunately, there are guardians to help her. And what interesting guardians they are: half brothers who could each be her soulmate. But which one? It’s a choice any girl would have trouble making.
Tracy Goodwin creates a unique world of witches and the paranormal with a lot of interesting twists and turns that kept me reading until the end. I can’t wait for the next book in this young adult series: Shadow Souls Book 2, Bound.

[Karen Pugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tessa Egan longed to have a normal life. Instead, her parents sheltered her from the outside world. She was home-schooled and never allowed to have any friends. When she loses her parents at a young age, she is placed in the care of an older woman that she has never met and who continues to guard her. To complicate her protected existence, her father appears to her in spirit form and tells her to trust no one. He attempts to help his daughter prepare for what is to come on her eighteenth birthday. However, something in his realm forbids him from giving her all the answers she needs to stay alive.
As predicted, on her eighteenth birthday, Tessa is alone in the woods and is being hunted. She has no idea who is after her or why. All she knows is they want her dead. With her limited knowledge of what is actually happening, she battles for her life. Surrounded like the hunted prey she has become, the outcome doesn’t look good until a sword wheeling stranger steps out of the woods to help her. Together they battle the hunters until her fear, anger, and adrenaline collide and she loses consciousness. When she comes to, she is surrounded by a ring of dead hunters and her fighting partner informs her, she released her witching power which killed everyone but the two of them.
The stranger introduces himself as Alec Findlay, Tessa’s guardian. She feels an attraction to him, but their bond is weak. Then she meets Josh Findlay, Alec’s half-brother. She is immediately drawn to him and takes a chance to trust her instincts and allows him to help her. As they learn more, they discover Josh is her true guardian and she is the subject of an ancient prophecy which predicts the coming of a very powerful witch.
Since a witch can only have one guardian, Tessa releases Alec. As the trust between Tessa and Josh grows, so does their forbidden love. Yet the two defy the rule that a guardian can never be united with a witch. Through their forbidden bond, they peel back the layers of the mystery of who Tessa is and why someone wants her dead.
The intrigue around Tessa Egan’s existence begins to unfold as the reader is taken through one discovery after another, while the whole time danger lurks around every corner. This Young Adult Paranormal novel by Tracy Goodwin hits all the marks as the reader is taken on an adventure that will keep you asking, “What else can possibly happen next to this snarky teenager, who happens to be a witch?”

[Alice Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cursed is the first book of the shadow souls series of books. Cursed is about Tessa Egan. Tessa is very angry that she could not be a normal child like all the other children. When a witch turns 18 one of two things happen, they either die or disappear. But Tessa has a very strong survival instinct. Her parents had not shared much to help her prepare but her dad had told her she had to be ready when she turned 18 for a battle with some unknown monster. She says goodbye without actually saying goodbye to her elderly neighbor that she has cared for, Mrs. Crowley. Tessa is still trying to wrestle with her fate, that her parents left her alone to face. After her mom died, her father does not seem to care about her, barely around and not really there when he was after her mother’s death. I will leave it to you to read from here.

This book is really good. The character development is good but a bit confusing until the reader gets caught up as there is a lot of remembering and jumping between the present and different times in Tessa’s past. I think this would be a great read for anyone who really enjoys paranormal stories.
I’m giving this book 4 hearts

Reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock

[TXBRITGAL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It was definitely NOT your typical witch story. On her 18the birthday Tessa quickly learns her life will be anything but boring any longer. Both her parents died long ago... She feels so very alone.... Knowing on her birthday she had to fight to stay alive she fights the hunter who came to kill her. No clue why this is happening.... Out of nowhere her Guardian comes to help her survive. Except instead of 1 hunter coming for her it seems there's a hoarde. Fighting back to back she and Alec barely manage to survive. And so her new life begins. Betrayal, mystery, prophecy and TONS of action is ahead.... Trust me this book is awesome! Just when you think you have everyone pegged a new twist emerges.... It's definitely a thrill ride. I am really looking forward to seeing what happens next. This would make a brilliant tv series or movie with all the twists and turns. I voluntarily leave this review thanks to being gifted an ARC.

[Jammie Bebout · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first I have read from this author, and I have to say that I was not disappointed. The plot is engaging, the imagery incredibly vivid, and the characters complex and well thought out. These characters draw you right into the story and make you believe in a world filled with guardians, witches, hunters, and werewolves. They are real and raw and beautifully flawed in all the best ways. They are also strong and brave and honest, and try as you might, you just can't help but become invested in their lives. Rooting for them then just becomes second nature. Overall, I found this book to be intriguing, romantic, captivating, impassioned, exciting, and absolutely riveting. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an enchanting and compelling read.

*I was given an ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review. All opinions are my own.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to start a new fantasy series. The writing was great and sucked me in until I finished the book. I felt like I was right there. It had witches, guardians, fight scenes and a great deal of paranoia. It is of the story Tessa an orphan that has to fight for her life once she turns 18 and finds out she is a witch. Full of twists, never knew exactly who was on Tessa's side. I thought a few scenes were hysterical and others just plain crazy. I loved Tessa's inner monologues and her snarky saying. Cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. Worth reading if you like YA fantasy books.

[Lisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodwin Converted Me

We all have reader biases, things we just don’t care to read. It might be hero cops, vampires, stories set in small towns, etc. One of mine is witches. I don’t normally get pulled into stories featuring witches. Tracy Goodwin’s CURSED grabbed hold of me from page one and never let go. I loved the Tessa's spunk, found the world-building well thought out, and lots of action to keep my attention. If you dig witches, definitely pick up this baby. If you don’t care for witches, I urge you to give this a shot. It might open up a whole new subgenre for you like it did for me.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book that captures your attention at the beginning and holds it until the end. A page turner for sure. Witches and YA are not my usual genre and I was surprised that I liked this book. A very engaging story line and great characters. Quite a read. Fantasy with lots of emotion, surprises, twists and drama. I received a reader copy of this book and am glad I did because otherwise I would not read it. It was such a good book that I voluntarily chose to review it so that others might venture out and get lost in this fantasy.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracy Goodwin is a new author to me, and I came across this book in one of those random freebie offers. It was free and the blurb looked appealing so I figured "what the heck" might as well try it. Boy am I ever glad that I did. This is a really well written novel. The star is a feisty heroine with a fun snarky attitude who's really a pleasure to follow along. The supporting cast and plot are top-notch. I am definitely looking forward to Shadow Souls book 2. Tracy Goodwin may have been new but I hope to gobble up what she writes.

[Linda Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has a really interesting storyline and characters that hook you in from the beginning. I liked Tessa a lot. She is facing incredible danger but still manages to find some humor in it all. There are many different types of paranormals in the story and I liked all the action and the surprises. There is a good romance opportunity as well. I look forward to seeing what is next in the series.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I read written by Tracy Goodwin. I thought this book was written well, the characters were well developed and the book itself keeps you engaged throughout. From the very beginning it keeps you wanting more and you feel that you are in their world of the paranormal. There's romance, intrigue, suspense as well as so much more. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I highly recommend this to others.

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't typically read young adult, but this one peaked my interest. I was pleasantly surprised with how captivated I became with Tessa's story. There's action, romance, and twists galore along with a strong heroine that you genuinely want to root for. This solid first book makes this a series to watch.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. It's a whole new take on the supernatural with amazing characters and so many twists that it could be a maze.
You never stop guessing as the book progresses. A must read!
I received a ARC of this book and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.

[SouthernAngel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magical engaging YA page turner that captures your attention at the beginning and holds it until the end. With a plot full of emotions: fear and sorrow, anger and distrust, along with the action and suspense, love and friendship.
I voluntarily to reviewed an Advanced Review Copy of this book.

[Susan Toussaint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously in love

I can not believe everything that happened. And the ending!!!!! What is she transforming into!!!! Loved this book. Can not wait till the next one

[Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want a sequel to this book.

[Leslie Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book! I loved Tessa and her determination to survive and live her life. Alex was ok and seemed to be everything she wanted, until I met Josh. Now to me, he was the ultimate Guardian (even though he wasn't). Not to give anything away, suffice it to say it was Fan-freaking-tastic!! Oh gosh, I am so excited for the next book. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.