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Cursed #1-2

The Cursed Series, Parts 1 & 2: If I'd Known / Knowing You

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“Trust no one. Everyone lies. You can only save yourself.”

The sole witness to a horrible crime, Lana’s forced to make an impossible choice to protect her friends at the risk of letting a monster walk free. The coverup gets her sent to a boarding school for delinquents, where everyone has something to hide. And one of them is determined to break her silence.

Lana Peri doesn’t believe in love. Or happy endings. But she does believe everyone's cursed: possessed with a virtue that will ultimately lead to their demise. Cursed with Honesty, Lana must decide if the truth will help save the girl lying in a coma or if it's fated to destroy them all.

The Cursed Series is a thrilling and tangled mystery that questions the lengths some will go to protect the truth…or expose it. Who do you trust when everyone is lying?

462 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2018

252 people are currently reading
6059 people want to read

About the author

Rebecca Donovan

17 books9,389 followers
Optimism seeps from every pore of my body. I truly believe that what's supposed to happen... will! In that regard, I don't know how to give up; it's not part of my biological make up.

I'm a passionate (and some would say, overly enthusiastic) person. I learn by doing (and have been burned more times that I'd like to admit), but I will always throw my entire self into whatever I do - fail or succeed.

I think this is evident when I write, leaving nothing behind and spilling it all out on the pages. I give it all to my readers - love it or hate it.

The path I'm on is very often my own, veering off the beaten path at the sight of something more interesting or captivating, getting caught in the vines and thorns in order to experience the beauty and intrigue others often pass by. And I always meet the most interesting people along the way...

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5 stars
354 (50%)
4 stars
223 (31%)
3 stars
99 (14%)
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19 (2%)
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11 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
Profile Image for Courtney.
1,968 reviews210 followers
March 26, 2019
HOT DAMN - This book was AMAZING!!! I CANNOT wait for the next book to release with parts 3 &4.

Part 1 is more of a novella and sets the stage for Part 2 and the next book (Parts 3 & 4). I loved every single bit of this book and was truly surprised by easily I could visualize everything.

The Cursed Series is definitely geared more toward YA age of 16+ because of scenes and topics that are brought up. One thing that I feel the need to point out is that 16 year olds in different situations and life styles react and do things differently. When you read the book - you will see what I mean.

Rebecca brought out so many emotions in this book. I loved how everything felt so real and like it was playing out before my eyes. Rebecca's writing truly comes to life right off the pages. The character are real and so raw with their emotions and their actions.

And then there is the suspense - OMG!! Love the suspense that is slowly building in this book. I love the unknown surrounding Lana and how all these characters intertwine with one another. I love every characters because they all are equally important and bring so much to this book. I still have so many unanswered questions and I really need to know where this all ends.

Rebecca has written a fascinating and page-turning YA Romantic Suspense that everyone will love. I devoured this book within one day and that's with working 8hrs plus doing all the other motherly and wifely duties added in. I could not put this book down - as much as I did not want it to end, I had to know what was going on and where this story was going.

Bring on Parts 3 and 4, Pronto!!
Profile Image for Lien.
296 reviews242 followers
August 22, 2021
Overall rating: 2.5 Stars

This is an it's-me-not-you situation. I'm pretty sure. And I have a looot to say.

➤ Part 1: 4 stars

Rebecca Donovan got me hooked with the first part. The whole concept about curses was fascinating and if you think about it - oh so true. I bow and applaud Rebecca for coming up with this!
The suspense, wow! Part 1 is a short novella and the beginning to the mystery that surrounds Lana in the second part. The first part was great. Shout out to Lana's badass friend Nina, you're awesome.

Our curses are instilled in us as virtues, something we should attain and strive to become. Except it's these traits, the ones we deem to be the most honorable, that cause the most destruction.
I should know. I’ve been a witness to it my entire life. Belief, Trust, Kindness and Boldness. They sound like the best characteristics to possess. Except they’re the reason for just about everything that’s ever gone wrong.

I had to warm up to our heroine Lana first. She was uber bitchy sometimes which made me a little uncomfortable but you definitely can't fault her for being fake. Her curse is to always say the truth and I absolutely can NOT relate to that. I'm the type of person who thinks about the other person's feelings first and rather lies instead of being so straightforward. The fact that Lana can blurt out everything is definitely an admirable trait to me.

➤ Part 2: 2 stars

The first part was great and after that comes the second...not so good part. Because part 2 is so much more dominant in length, I couldn't just add the two-star ratings together and calculate the average. The second part had more weight overall which makes me give this book 2.5 stars.

There's no way for me to tell you why I didn't like the second part without spoilers, but in a nutshell, I liked neither Lana nor her love interests.

WARNING, the next part is super SPOILERY. If you read this you don't want to read the book anymore (bc you'll know nearly everything about the h's love interest(s)) so stop here if you still wanna read the book.

Profile Image for Maha.
138 reviews
December 24, 2020
Okay, so I’m still trying to wrap my head around the final chapter, but I definitely have a clear idea about the rest. My thoughts are still quite jumbled up so I’m going to section this review, bear with me, you’re going to want to read this book.

1st. The concept or the Plot
The plot is the work of a genius, it is romantic but not a love story, dramatic but not dramatized, peaceful but not quiet. Most importantly it has good vibes which I deeply appreciate in a good novel. It is all about the atmosphere. It is not an empty novel for teenagers to indulge in with their all-over-the-place hormones, it is far from that. It discusses friendship, morals, fears and the depths a person can go down to protect his loved ones.

2nd. The style of writing also dialogue & monologue
The second I picked Donovan’s breathing series I fell in love with her style of writing, like it connected to me, like she spoke my heart’s language. And The Cursed is no exception. This woman is “magical”.

3rd. The characters!
The protagonist is not your usual teenage heroine where she is aware of her insecurities, is disturbingly moral and can’t say a word to fight back. Lana may be the exact opposite. Bold yet not fearless. As for the rest of the characters, they all added warmth to the story and I couldn’t get enough of all of them. And yeah I’m obsessed with Grant, obviously.
All of their personalities made sense and just fit the plot perfectly which made my heart happy.

I appreciate this work of art Rebecca has blessed us with, I can’t wait for the next book to be shipped to me. Reading Donovan’s books makes my heart flutter with all kinds of emotions and they take me to places I never thought I could go to.
Profile Image for Chelé-----4 The Love of Books .
1,016 reviews56 followers
March 17, 2019
Let's start with the title that had me so intrigued. The Cursed. Our heroines curse is honesty. If I think about it I would say mine is empathy. Your curse isn't necessarily something bad but there's always two sides of a coin and your curse can make you weak which is something our heroine, Lana refuses to be.

Lana has shot up on my list of my most favorite characters I've ever read about. I often forget how young she is because she is so wise beyond her years. Being raised by strong women all of her life has helped shaped the person she is but their tragedies have also formed the sometimes negative thoughts she has towards trust, men and most of all.......love.

Lana is loyal to a FAULT and I mean that because when some absolutely vile and horrific stuff goes down, she takes the fall or at least doesn't point the finger at the actual culprit, too scared how it will affect the ones she cares for the most. Now Lana is being ripped away from everything she's ever known and dropped into a world so different from her own.

But this new environment isn't all that is seems. Someone is watching Lana, making threats, leaving menacing notes. Whatever they think she knows or whatever they know about her they perceive her as a threat. Lana is trying her best under all these new circumstances with the help of some new allies/friends Perception (Brendan) Authenticity  (Ashton) and swoon Integrity  (Grant)

Try to prepare yourself for this fantastic world that Rebecca has created filled with suspense, mystery, romance, drama, and feels! It's like Cruel Intentions meets 10 things I Hate about you with a touch of Gossip Girl!
Profile Image for Wickedly Sweet & Synful Book Blog Synclare Moss.
835 reviews142 followers
March 29, 2019
Rebecca Donovan has officially been added to my “one click” list.
How do I begin this review?
First, it deserves 10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Second, I’ve never read a story like this. It had everything. I’ve seriously stopped reading at certain points because I was dreading it coming to an end. I want more. I crave more. I need more to live..take pity on me, Rebecca!
Lana..oh Lana...nothing is as it seems. I love the depth of the characters. Layers upon layers of mystery and intrigue are revealed like peeling back an onion.
You must read this book. I’m totally going to push my book sisters to read it.
~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~

Plot~ 5/5
Main Characters~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 5/5
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 5/5
Addictiveness~5/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5 ~ CLIFFHANGER
Book Cover~ Fantastic
Series~ The Cursed Series
Source~ Kindle eBook ~ ARC for honest review


Would I read more from this author? Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Profile Image for Katie.
503 reviews121 followers
January 2, 2019
You’ll want to read this series! Such great books, can’t wait to read part 3!!
Profile Image for Trisha.
368 reviews71 followers
April 13, 2019
"Trust no one. Everyone lies. You can only save yourself."


This was an up and down journey for me with this book but it ended solid and with enough mystery for me to want to read the next two parts! I will give this a 3.5 because the second part gave this a higher rating than the first part would have.

First impression: What are the curses? Is this going to get weird?

I'll fully admit the first part of the book nearly lost my interest entirely because nothing really happens until chapter 7. It was a lot of information that could have been contained in almost just a chapter to move things along quicker. But I kept at it and by the time the end of the first part comes, things finally get into motion.

Things really pick up when Lana gets to the boarding school where all the rich and elite hide their problem kids so they can't cause more issues. But Lana isn't a rich kid and it is revealed there might be more than a few secrets with the other students too.

The cast of characters in the first part are so unlikable and that's another reason I almost couldn't keep reading but in the second part there are new characters that are far more interesting. I cared about them more unlike Lana's interactions in the first part.

Speaking of, Lana is a very difficult character to care about but in the second part I started to warm up to her and get a little more attached. It's just confusing they're supposed to be high school kids and not college aged. They really come across as older and more experienced but that is more minor compared to everything else.

Ashton is in the second part and she's one of the most interesting characters in the entire book for me. So, is Brandon because it is difficult to tell what side he is on .

Basically, the novel is about Lana, who has an incredibly bad time at a party and gets roped into some criminal matters. This leads to her getting sent to the boarding school rather than juvie. There she meets others who were tossed there too for whatever reason. Some of the reasons are revealed but most things stay a mystery. Just when Lana starts to find her footing, she starts to get threatening and downright odd messages . It rattles her and it begs the question - could it be someone from her old life or her new one?

It all builds up until there are far more questions than answers and I admit I want to see what happens. I got invested far more than I expected when I first started the book. So, I suggest anyone starting out and finding it too slow to keep at it because it does pick up. The characters of the second part are far better than the first part with more depth to them, along with secrets.

I still don't have any idea about the curses, though. Are they an actual thing or just something Lana labels people with? Is it just her viewpoint or does it actually hinder people? Maybe the next few parts will tell me.

All in all, I would say it's an interesting read but the pacing really should have been quicker than it was.

Last impression: The ending! That really heated up there with the plot and the twists. I thought I had one part figured out but a few things surprised me there! I need part 3 and 4 now!

“Act the way you want everyone to see you, no matter how you’re really feeling.”


I was generously provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Profile Image for Bookish Affair.
253 reviews100 followers
March 30, 2019
♡ ⁵ CURSED STARS ♡
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" 𝑾𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒅— 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒖𝒔."
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Where do I start from, she created this whole new world that now I'm obsessed with.
Rebecca Donovan's writing didn't disappoint me. The passion, love and angst was pouring out of the words she wrote.
This book had a fast driven plot with twist & turns that'll creep up out of nowhere.
It was so ADDICTIVE you couldn't stop reading it.
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“𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅.”
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This book focuses on Lana's journey towards growing-up but it also mixes with life of few characters that all leads to One Mystery that together they try to uncover.
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"𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒆𝒔, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆."
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The tricky part of this book is that I can't reveal much here. Seriously it's so hard to review because every character that comes in the story has a role to play, a role that leads to the start of the destruction that'll took place in Lana's life.
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𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑰 𝒂𝒎, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆."
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Lana Peri is not just another ordinary girl, she's cursed, that to a Curse of Honesty, but I'll tell you that she's not only honest but she's loyal to the core. She had to grow up long before her time & that came with a price - Her Innocence. It got lost along the way but a Rebel was born that day, ready to trample anything that crosses her or her loved ones.
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"𝑴𝒚 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 ....𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒚."
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Her Curse finally claimed her with a vengeance only One Night was all it took for her to loose everything she hold dear to herself. Landing her into to a boarding school with people far to the likes of her.
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"𝑵𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑰’𝒎 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆. 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇."
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In Lana's life something afyer everything was fine and dandy there was definitely something missing call it an intution , nothings ever too good to be true & one fine day all her fears come true when a mysterious note comes & is ready to destroy her fragile world.
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"𝑴𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈."
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This book is going to take you the place where you'll stop thinking about what comes and next and purely focus on how the hell did it happen, because I for sure was that way when I read the last few words. It changed me!!!
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"𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒖𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
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The beauty of this book was that it showed how Lana struggled with her fears.
Love is not easy to accept for all but Lana will be forced to face love in all its facets from a scorching love of a lover, to a love that could be freely given to people close to us.
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“𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅.”
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I also won't tell you her love interest because that's the puzzle waiting to be put together by you.
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“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑺𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑨 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒅."
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In all I have only one thing to say that The Cursed Series is based on a test of friendship, love family, loyalty & humanity. It'll make you question a lot of why's open you up into many possibilities that you never thought would happen. The mysteries, lies and trust will be broken as boundaries will be crossed.
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"𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒇 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆."
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Profile Image for Robin Powers.
1,427 reviews35 followers
March 14, 2019
I was addicted to every single word because it was so intense. Who can she trust? Who’s behind everything happening around her? It was seriously making my head spin with theories. The characters all have riveting, quirky personalities and I pretty much love each and every one of them. The private school is just dark and mysterious...I want to know all of its secrets. This story was a page turner that I didn’t want to stop reading. I literally read it nonstop in one sitting. Perfection.
Profile Image for Amber Fenger.
67 reviews
January 4, 2019

Could not put this down once I started it. Everyone has curses and Lana is a girl who cannot lie. Lana seems to live life to her fullest. She tells people how it is and doesn’t care if people like her for it or not. Lana and her best friend Tori go to a party one night and from the time they go to the party and where the book ends, the night was going good but then some craziness takes place.

Part two takes us on a journey. Lana is sent to a school out of state. She has no idea as to where she is, what she is going to do and all sorts of other things. Lana becomes good friends with Ashton, Brendan and Lance. They have this unique bond to each other. Lana eventually opens herself up to Grant. They both care for each other. We learn someone has something against Lana. There are lots of twists is here that I wasn’t expecting. Cannot wait for part 3.
Profile Image for Pam Nelson.
3,796 reviews123 followers
January 30, 2021
First things first I knew going in it was going to be teenage dramalama.
So I am not mad about that in fact I don’t know if it is because I did a re-listen of Rebecca’s other series but I was looking forward to this audio.

I really like Lana and her curses, the way she looks at the world and tell the truth it’s refreshing. I like that if she isn’t willing to say the truth she doesn’t speak at all.
There is some mystery going on and we don’t ever really get “answers” just more questions and I will admit it is frustrating but also I get it we have 2 more books to get through what fun would it be if it was all given away in the beginning of books 1 and 2.

So I will continue listening because I have to know!! Great narration too, I like that she sounds young but not too young that wouldn’t fit Lana at all.
Profile Image for Brianna.
3 reviews
January 3, 2019
Love this series so far. The story is intricate and beautiful written. You really don’t know what you don’t know! I love way the RD writes the characters in this story. They are all vastly different and their “curse” is woven right into the storyline. I am waiting patiently for parts 3 & 4! I have so many questions and theories I can’t wait to see which ones I was right about and which ones I was wrong about!

Profile Image for L.J. Evans.
Author 32 books1,318 followers
April 17, 2020
The first part of this series GRABS YOU and NEVER LETS YOU GO. I can't believe all the different elements that are combined to make this an outrageously good read. I'm dying to finish Parts 3 & 4. Hopefully, this weekend! You want these books in your life. But then, you want ALL the Rebecca Donovan books!
Profile Image for Jypsy .
1,524 reviews71 followers
April 9, 2019
Imagine, virtues, such as Belief and Honesty, are curses."..it's these traits, the ones we deem to be the most honorable, that cause the most destruction." Take false belief/hope. It's paralyzing to believe in an improbable outcome or someone who will never exist as you wish. Honesty is the curse of the main character. How is it a curse?"Every day, I see what lying can do." Lying causes negative outcomes usually. Is it better, then, to always be honest? Truth is a dangerous thing to handle with care because it can also cause unintended consequences. I loved and hated Lana. Cursed with Honesty, she hurts feelings and is flippant. Life is not easy with a sick mother and no money. Lana is tough out of necessity. And, she doesn't need validation from a boy. She's standoffish to everyone but her friends and mother. Lana gives up everything to protect her friends after a night partying goes bad. She's a victim of circumstances and chance who witnesses two crimes. Lana knows who did it but refuses to snitch because Honesty would endanger her friends.The person responsible has the means to win any argument, so she remains silent. In part 2, Lana arrives at a boarding school for prep kids gone bad, Blackwood. She doesn't belong because these are the rich children of celebrities.Lana has connections, lawyer, and that's how she landed here and not juvie. No spoilers, so,without great detail, the story picks up, new people, job,etc. She remains flippant and untamed. “Maybe I am my chaos. It comes with me wherever I go.”Following rules won't bring answers I felt like I was in a funhouse with mirrors. Which way am? What's that noise? I questioned who was doing what. Puzzling odd things transpire around Lana. Blackwood becomes increasingly sinister and bizarre. The rules/authority figures are creepy. A random guy knows everything about her. Her room is personalized in an almost predatory way. Who can she trust? “Someone's playing games with me, and I don't know why.” Mysterious and absorbing, I love the dark menacing vibe. I liked Lana's whatever attitude and humor. Rebecca Donovan's writing is immersive and refreshing. An enjoyable read, but that ending? I'm in tatters!
Profile Image for Paige.
17 reviews
February 21, 2019
This series is addicting!!! I love everything Becca writes and these books don’t disappoint!!
427 reviews14 followers
May 13, 2020
Part 1: If I'd Known review-

This book is such a whirlwind of events. It keeps you hooked and wanting more. It seems like Lana is constantly in the wrong place at the wrong time walking in on Vic committing a crime and then again at the Point party when he could of nearly killed Allie. Starting out I wanted to hate Lana's character, she seems so "bitchy" just like others​ see her. I was pulled into the story and I have so many questions like what's up with Vic and why is he such a psychopath and for the love of God Joey seems so sincere with Lana can she not push him away?! How does Lana's mom know Niall? I wonder if he is the man her mom says is gone because of her (referring to Lana)? I cannot wait to read book two Knowing You. There are many questions that need answered.

Part 2: Knowing You review:

Wow, this is has so much more going on than you could imagine. Am I the only one who thinks its super weird that five of the women that were at Nantucket were all pregnant?! I cannot wait to find out who is related to who, there are so many different possibilities. I kind of wondered from reading If I'd Known that somehow Joey and Lana were related and that's why they did not end up sleeping together. I loved that at the beginning of each chapter was bits of Lana's fairytale about the dark night her Grandmother was murdered. There is just so much mystery surrounding Blackwood. Its courtyard seems magical but also frightening at the same time, it makes you wonder if the court is magical or if someone is really coming and changing the court frequently. Lana comes to find such an interesting group of friends her first few days at Blackwood its such a mix of people that you wouldn't think would be friends and you know they are all hiding something. I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I have to know more this is such a detailed and interesting story. Rebecca has put so much thought and effort into this series and it is amazing, I have never read anything like this.
208 reviews6 followers
April 15, 2020
I was given this series to read for an honest review. I have to say right off these two books weren't what I was expecting from the title.. Rebecca Donovan writes alot of detail so that you feel you actually know the characters and places. Lana is a cynical , tough young teenage girl from the wrong side of town, out one night with friends she ends up at the wrong place and time that turns her life up side down. She ends ip in an exclusive boarding school for the wealthy with kids her own age from wealthy families that she has nothing in common with, and no or anything is what it seems. I hope Rebecca writes the continuation of this series as the intrigue has me patiently waiting for more of this story.
Profile Image for Kiki.
165 reviews357 followers
March 31, 2019
I devoured the words of this book in less than 24 hours. The story was out of this world amazing. The twists and turns had you on edge. You think you knew one thing and then you were proven wrong the next instant. Rebecca takes us on an adventure full of suspense, mystery and angst. You are so hooked to this story you don’t want it to end. A beautiful amazing read. I can’t wait for more!
Profile Image for Vicki.
2,699 reviews111 followers
May 17, 2019
Let me start by saying that I love Rebecca Donovan! She's an amazing writer and, because I've met her in person I can say, she's also an amazing human being! That has nothing to do with my rating though. This book is really fantastic!

Rebecca knows how to make the reader feel, and she draws emotions out of her readers because she has a way with words and building her characters and plot to be so realistic. By time you're well into the book, you'll definitely have feelings about each character. If you're anything like I am, you'll definitely run the gamut of emotions. The characters are young, in their teens mostly, but they're very grown up in their actions/activities they involve themselves in. Many of the things they do would give me a heart attack as a parent of a teen, but these teens are different and come from different places in life.

Lana is only 15 years old and although in some ways she seems to have a head on her shoulders, some of her actions conflict with how I view her. Kind of like a smoker who knows not to smoke but does, I think she does things that she knows she shouldn't but does them anyway.

A group of them get an invite to The Point, a happening place where only people who get a specific invitation can go to. Somehow one of the boys gets them an in to the party; however, on the way there things happen. Trust me when I say you'll never in 100 years expect to happen what does. I was like, "What the heck!" And it puts all of the teens in quite a predicament, especially one of them. There's what I could call a domino effect and it gets so, so good!

I don't want to say much but there's mystery, suspense, tension, crime, (did I say suspense?), cover-ups, lies, CURSES...and what is your curse? Hmmm...guess we all have them!

Hopefully you'll pick up this book NOW if you have it; if not, I hope you'll get it because it's SO good!
Profile Image for S.M. Boren.
Author 1 book11 followers
March 19, 2019
I received this book in a Giveaway on Instagram. All opinions are my own. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟The Cursed Series by Rebecca Donovan. Everyone Lies, You can only save yourself. Lana and her friends go our on a Friday night and get into the hottest party spot in their small town but everything goes wrong and continues to get worse the entire night and Lana ends up in juvie and refuses to talk in order to save and protect her friends. Her lawyer pulls some strings and Lana instead of serving time in juvie is transferred to a rich private school full of other delinquents just like her but they come from wealthy, privileged backgrounds. Just as Lana is becoming accepted into the new peer group suspicious notes and messages begin to appear and strange things begin to happen around her just as she realizes she may be falling in love with someone completely out of her circle. As secrets begin to emerge the mysteries become thicker than Lana could have ever imagined. Lana doesn't know who to trust when she is the only one telling the truth. Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Library Thing, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Amazon, Twitter @jason_stacie and my blog at readsbystacie.com
Profile Image for Verna Loves Books.
426 reviews60 followers
March 23, 2019
The Cursed Series by Rebecca Donovan is refreshing, yet intriguing. I just couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved the main character, Lana. She was one of those people who told the truth no matter what. I really enjoyed that she never lied or sugar coated anything, even though it got her in trouble more than once. Her character is vibrant, fun, remarkable, and true to everyone she cares for.

Honor, Loyalty, Respect, Confidence, Perception, Nobility, Compassion

This series is raw, real, and will leave you in complete and utter awe by the last page. I didn't see it coming and I'm still torn about how I feel about it. I love reading a book that I get so invested in and I feel every emotion coming from the pages. Rebecca has a way of throwing you into her books and making you a part of the magic. I loved the beauty within the pages of The Cursed Series. So prepare yourself for an amazing book that's going to leave you begging for the next book and in shock by the last page.

I give The Cursed Series by Rebecca Donovan 5 out of 5 IMPRESSIVE STARS!
Profile Image for AJ's Book ReMarks.
1,572 reviews40 followers
April 4, 2019
Had I'd known

Went in blind not knowing anything about the story or the author. Have to say the ride was bumpy. In book one getting to know Lana Peri, a little young feisty girl who loves with her whole self (mind, body, & soul). She finds herself in more difficult situations which carry over into book two. More characters and culprits are introduced and than bam! She leaves you hanging until God knows when the next book is due out! Shit! Why do I do these things? The story is fabulous the waiting is another thing!
Profile Image for Megan Mary.
1,116 reviews15 followers
March 20, 2019
The Cursed Series has left me speechless! With a full list of unanswered questions & one epic book hangover I cannot wait for book three in this series.

Megan- Scandalous Book Blog
Profile Image for The Smutbrarians.
2,239 reviews1,746 followers
March 27, 2019
Feels 2
Steam 0
Storyline 5
Overall Rating 4.5
Kindle eArc provided by Author
Reviewed by Robin

Lana and her best friends went out to have a little fun and party on a Friday night. Except this night, Lana witnessed a crime and now her life will never be the same. Forced to protect her friends, she’s sent to a boarding school for privileged teens as part of her punishment. Just as she starts to make friends, she receives threats and disturbing notes. She thinks she can trust her new friends but more and more she learns she can trust no one.

“Trust no one.
Everyone lies.
You can only save yourself.”

I was addicted to every single word because it was so intense. Remember when you loved to read YA and the magic of discovering these crazy new worlds? I love that feeling! Who can Lana trust? Who’s behind everything happening around her? It was seriously making my head spin with theories. The characters all have riveting, quirky personalities and I pretty much love each and every one of them. The private school is just dark and mysterious...I want to know all of its secrets. This story was a page turner that I didn’t want to stop reading. I literally read it nonstop in one sitting. Perfection.

This series is light on the steamy sex so far and heavy on the mystery. Which is really nice sometimes. I love that the story sucks you in and you can’t stop wondering what will happen next!
Profile Image for Kali McQuillen.
1,843 reviews36 followers
March 26, 2019
Holy crap!! I started reading this and was pulled in right from the start. I loved Lana, she may be young but she sees the world differently from just about everyone around her. When her curse gets her sent to the private school she doesn't know who to trust.

It's hard for her to trust. Is she going to trust the wrong person? I was almost biting my nails to see what was going to happen next. The suspense was killing me! I felt like I was right there with her trying to figure out everything.

Then at the end...the CH I was like noooooo......I seriously can't wait for the next installments of this series. I need to find out what they find out!!!
Profile Image for Janine Bürger de Assis.
165 reviews22 followers
March 26, 2019
First of all, I don’t know how to review this book without only saying: go read it!! But I’ll try! Intriguing, fast paced, great characters, wonderful writing. It’s only the beginning. I really believe this is the kind of book you should go blind. Don’t try to read spoilers, don’t read the last page first, just enjoy the ride. From the first page you don’t know who to believe, how everything connects, where the story is going. I spent the whole book trying to decipher all that is happening behind the curtains and when I think I have some clue, everything shifts. Lana is a wonderful character and I can’t wait the next book to see more of her and her new challenges!
Profile Image for Naadira  Moodley (BookedMercy) .
369 reviews82 followers
March 26, 2019
Okay, wow.... Just wow. I am speechless. This series is definitely one of a kind. This was a very complex book. It was intriguing. I got sucked into this word filled with mystery and a lot of secrets.

Lana is not an easy person to get along with. She does not have many friends or people she can tolerate. She is brutally honest and that honesty sometimes hurts people but although she always speaks the truth, one night changes her life forever. In this case, she was honest but only the partial truth was revealed. She was doing this to protect the people she cares about and in doing so, she was sent to a delinquent academy for the children of the rich and famous. It was either this or juvie and at least here, she has some semblance of a freedom. She meets and befriends some interesting people. They are her type of chaos.

Notes and messages start appearing. Someone is messing with her. It might be someone she knows. It might be one of her new friends. Lana needs to figure out who to trust.

I loved Lana's attitude. She is badass. Her life is far from perfect and the thing I admired about her was she didn't blame anyone for how she turned out. All her actions have consequences and she deals with them. I need part 3 and 4. The last chapter in this book left me reeling. I am so confused. I have so many questions that need answers.
Profile Image for Patty Zuiderwijk.
643 reviews9 followers
May 12, 2020
story 3,5/5
characters 3/5
writing 3,5/5
audio/paper Paper.
reread? I might. Do I want to continue? Not sure yet.
Recommend it? I mean.. I liked it...
But its kinda weird.


Verhaal: 3,5/5
Karakters: 3/5
Schrijfstijl: 3,5/5
Papier/audio? Papier.
Herlezen: Wellicht. Wil ik het vervolg lezen? Weet ik nog niet.
Aanrader? Ik bedoel.. ik vond 't leuk...
Maar 't is allemaal wat vaag.

Profile Image for Mandie.
692 reviews34 followers
April 30, 2019
I immediately fell in love with this cover, then read the blurb, and I knew I just had to read this book! It was amazing! It was intense! It had mystery and intrigue! I really enjoyed the suspenseful storyline! I found it quite unique. I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely can’t wait to read the next parts!
Profile Image for Emily Cromwell.
218 reviews169 followers
March 25, 2019
I’m still trying to wrap my head around what just happened. That ending though! I did not see that coming. I literally sat there stumped and lost in thought for at least five minutes after reading the last page to let it sink in.

This book was so intriguing and had such a sense of darkness and mystery in it, that I’m still left with so many questions needing to understand what and why things happened! I can’t wait for Parts 3 and 4. I need them now! I need answers!

One of my favorite parts about the book was the character depth. I loved how each character brought something unique and new to the storyline, while also still working to keep us as the reader in the dark about what’s really going on.

Loved it!!

*I was generously provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
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