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Her Cursed Protectors #3

The Curse of Monsters

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An unbreakable bond. An ancient curse. A monster to ruin kingdoms.

We survived the outliers, but now Kade, Asher, Darian, Locke, and I are in the fae kingdom with a tortured prince in our grasp. The fae hold the secrets to breaking the curse over Katakin, and I intend to find out what they are. But the fae realm is as perilous as Katakin, and those secrets? Yeah, we’ll have to pay for them with blood.

As I get closer to finding my sister, I learn to accept the magic that runs in my veins. I’m more powerful than ever, and I’m relishing using it to kick some a**. But I’m about to discover that I’m not immune to the curse like I thought I was. Those four monsters of mine? Yeah, they’re about to find out just what kind of monster they’re bonded to. Turns out, I might not be the Katakin monsters’ salvation. I might just be their downfall.

This is the third book in the Her Cursed Protectors series, and a fun reverse harem fantasy novel for audiences aged 18 years and older. **Language warning **Multiple POV

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2023

338 people are currently reading
279 people want to read

About the author

Mia Hartson

12 books170 followers
Mia Hartson is an Australian author who loves writing stories about feisty heroines who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, hunky, misunderstood heroes who would do anything to protect their girl, and intriguing fantasy worlds filled with magic.

To receive writing updates and get your hands on exclusive, bonus content, sign up for Mia's mailing list via her website: www.miahartson.com

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMiaHar...

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439 (32%)
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218 (16%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
Profile Image for Tina LoCasto.
64 reviews1 follower
June 20, 2023
I picked up this series on a whim but was pleasantly surprised at how well written it was (I had previously been through some reverse harems with some really bad proof reading and editing.). I was ecstatic to be offered a chance to get an ARC of the third book of this series

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

The book starts off right where the previous one left us, walking through the portal to the fae land. One thing I loved about the prior books was the world building of the monster’s home land. She does an even better job with the fae realm. The description of the fairy forest and the dangers in there were fascinating and fun.

I have my own particular love for some laughing killer fungi!

As with her other books, there is plenty of humor, feels, sizzle, and intrigue to keep the pages turning. The one thing I love about these books is there is a good balance of story and spice. The spice feels natural to the story, not the driving force (but there is still plenty of it, and it’s so good)

All in all, a great new world to discover, we learn more about our main characters and get to fill in a few holes in their stories. And now I am left once again, impatiently waiting because I have to know how this ends!!!!!
Profile Image for alexandra.
1,009 reviews184 followers
March 24, 2024
✩‧₊ 3 stars ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

・ 。゚☆:The Curse of Monsters *.☽ .*:☆゚

☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°。 0:32 ──♡───── 3:47 ☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°。

🎶 You did a number on me. But honestly, baby, who's counting?I did a number on you. But honestly, baby, who's counting? 🎶

Raine (h) is still looking for her sister; she’s still human and in a different realm than when she began. Now, she has to manage a new realm with her monsters by her side, but she knows they’ll protect her no matter what. Along the way, she helps to find answers about her sister and what happened, but now that she’s confided in Kade, Darian, Asher, and Locke (H), she’ll know she’s getting closer to the truth.

─── ・ 。゚☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆゚. ───

They spent the entirety of the book in the Fae realm, which I loved. This is excellent world-building. I love that we got to be in a different setting from the first few books just because we explored more of the Fae instead of worrying about the monsters. The whole point was that they were there for a cure, and even though people think that they are traitors because they’re left for the Fae realm, they’re just there to get insight, so they still had the Prince, but it was to reach a deal.
The Prince was agreeable initially, but he seemed only interested in treating them like allies because of Raine. He is a captive, but he doesn’t like to resort to violence, so he knows he can only trust Rain with the information that she needs because he doesn’t feel any hatred in her heart. It’s interesting now that we know that she’s part human and part Fae; I’m curious to know what happened to her sister and if her sister was also Fae, but there’s also the element of the Forgotten Fae who got to speak inside Raine’s head for a moment before his execution. Maybe they confused her for her sister Cara.

For a moment in the book, they all turned human, and it was interesting to see them without their monster features; even though that didn’t bother Raine anymore, it was something she grew to appreciate, especially with Asher. However, when the effects of the FE poison went away, that’s when they got exposed to the King and had a near-death experience because they were going to get executed until she unleashed her magic and bought them way out.

[All]

“You don’t make any deals without talking to the rest of us first. Is this why you wanted to come to the fae realm? Why you wanted us to keep the fae alive?”


“Is this true, Sharachi?” I said, unable to keep the hurt from my gaze as I watched her.


“No, but you failed to tell us about the fact the fae could also break whatever is bonding us together,” Locke said, his voice devoid of emotion.


“I didn’t tell you about the fact the fae said he might be able to break our bonds because I wasn’t sure if I—”


“I’m not sure if I want him to break the bonds, and I was afraid you’d force him to.”


They don’t want the bond broken when the prince mentions that Raine is there for a cure. Locke, Asher, Darian, and Kade were severely hurt because she omitted that portion of the deal. However, she confessed that she wasn’t sure if she wanted the bond to be broken. They were relieved not only because they don’t care about being bonded to her anymore but because they actually like it, and they wouldn’t want to be separated from her because they’re learning to love her even though they don’t know that’s what it is or have an expressed yet. Locke experienced what it was like to be human for the first time. When he turned into a vampire again, he was terrified of hurting her, especially because he was experiencing blood lust for the first time again since he turned, and that’s when he realized that Raine was an important person in his life and the only woman he would ever feel this way about.

Meanwhile, Kade was with her for the first time without being controlled by his wolf. He was incompletely dominant for the first time in his life, so he took this opportunity to be with her, and this man is not ashamed of his attraction and obsession and possession of Raine. He is shameless, fierce, and protective over that girl. He doesn’t care who gets in his way. He will protect her. Asher and Darian seem to come in a duo because everything they do is together, and whenever they get to protect her, it’s always one of the other; they’re never separated. They’re kind of bonded as well. There’s no denying they love her even though no words have been said that she is their mate. Plus, now she’s a cool dragon, and her dragon feels like the boys are her treasure. Now they have a fierce protector on their side who will never let harm come to them, or else she will probably throw fireballs at whoever hurts them.

─── ・ 。゚☆: OVERALL *.☽ .*:☆゚. ───

I don’t want this series to end because I love these characters. I wish I could reread it for the first time, so I hope the next book, the final one in the series, gives me closure and the answers I need. Hopefully, the plot is not rushed, and there’s enough development for a final book in a short span.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for MissJLovesReading.
220 reviews11 followers
July 25, 2024
SPOILER-FREE

*SO glad to say book 3 has been just as great as the first two! YAY!

I wasn't expecting much from a bargain book I stumbled across on Kindle, but holy moly, I blew through this book faster than any other this year. After slogging through the latest Crescent City book by SJM, this was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my slump.

This is one of those 'why choose?' stories and actually the first I think I've read, and I wasn't sure I would like it but I was mistaken! The bond has a time to develop between the FMC and each of the guys/monsters, and I enjoy that each guy is different and actually have some depth to them and their stories.

The FMC is strong, a bit badass and even though she is human in a world of monsters, she actually jumps in to save one of the guys at high risk to herself which I loved that the author included. It created a balance so that she isn't always the one needing to be saved by knights in shining armour, and the guys' masculinity wasn't threatened by her coming to help them which was nice.

Her determination to stay true to herself whilst trying to find and save her older sister, and not just automatically give in to the guys and the monster world she is now living in, was admirable and she has a definite protective vibe about her and she definitely doesn't take any crap from anyone.

The romance does have a teeny bit of insta-lust/insta-love about it BUT this is actually due to the story line (I won't spoil the details) and so in my mind is acceptable and doesn't have the same effect that this tope usually does. I actually hate this trope usually but in this case I enjoy it, and it doesn't go from 0-100 like you may think, it does start out and then steadily grow throughout the book as they all get to know each other more and as the plot thickens, so don't let this deter you.

I also really liked the setting of the book, it's like Moana meets the mountain from the ACOTAR series, with the island and mountain joining together followed by the monster city. It isn't over-described at all, allowing for the relationships and plots to be the stars of the show which is good, especially with the book not being a huge one.
36 reviews
December 1, 2025
I'm glad the connections Raine is making with the guys isn't instant. I was worried since the spicy scenes happened early on but at the start of the third book the relationships were all about the same and had room to grow and for feelings to get further developed.

Like I said before, I love the banter throughout the books. Although, I felt kind of bad that the prince kept getting knocked out.

Raine helping Locke after he turned human again was so sweet. Locke has been through a lot, which is why he struggles with certain things but she was very patient and understanding while helping him. Plus what happened after was an amazing scene. I'm glad Locke is starting to feel more comfortable with Raine.

When the prisoner started to talking to Raine in her mind had me sooo curious. That scene was surprising! I also am so curious about him calling her the kings jewel.

I had a feeling the fae weren't behind what happened to Kade's sister and mother but I wasn't expecting that... I feel so bad for him.

Rain becoming a dragon was so unexpected. I honestly figured she was going to turn into a phoenix. Also, I had a feeling Cara ended up in the fae realm after finding out she never showed up in Katakin. Raine also being part fae was something I didn't expect. I'm excited to read the last book!! I hope they finally mark each other as mates!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ines.
1,349 reviews48 followers
June 23, 2023
Yum, yum, yum, for us little ones!
Gonna put them in our tum, tum, tums!
First, we make them still, still, still!
Then we're going to kill, kill, kill!


"The Curse of Monsters" is the third book in the "Cursed Protectors" series, and picks up right were the second book ended: with Raine and her men in a world they don't know the first thing about...

The best thing about reading fantasy novels, in my humble opinion, is discovering new worlds, and I love it when an author keeps investing in worldbuilding throughout multiple books. In this third book, Raine and her men end up in the realm of the fae and the author created a wonderful and scary place. I loved everything that happend to these characters, and there were some amazing twists in the storyline I didn't see coming.

The relationship building between Raine and her monsters is one met with plenty of reluctance, but all the threats surrounding them lead them to grow closer together. The closer they get, the more protective they become, and it's great to see those four males start to accept that Raine belongs to them. I am truly happy this series isn't finished yet, because it's obvious the author is building the story up to a wonderful and action-filled finale. I can't wait to get my hands on book four!
588 reviews
August 26, 2025
3.5⭐️ rounded up. The third instalment of the series takes place in the fae realm where they are trying to return the prince and find a way to break the curse. They run into a bunch of different fae creatures including mushrooms that tried to eat them and giant wasp creatures that blocked their powers and turned the monsters human. It was interesting which of the guys were happy about that and which realized the benefits of their powers. The fae king initially rewarded them until they found out that they were monsters during an assassination attempt by rebels on the prince. They barely escape execution and return to Katakin where Locke’s dad has taken over. He kidnaps Reine and while taking her blood she finally turns and becomes a dragon which also reveals that she’s half fae. Her dragon deciding the guys are treasures is adorable and Kane reestablished himself with the wolves which was good to see.

I enjoyed this book but I didn’t find THAT much happened in the first 75% of the book. Some character development but not a massive amount.
Profile Image for Kira Klassen.
86 reviews
June 27, 2024
WOW!!!! This story just keeps getting better! I continued to be entranced by Raine's story. With them in the fae realm, I had MAJOR stress for the main characters. I was terrified that one of them was going to die and I have become so attached to them.

I kind of had an inkling by the second time she used her powers that she may be fae, but I definitely wasn't expecting her to be a dragon shifter and only half fae!! I really liked that addition to the story and I was so happy that Raine finally was able to change into a monster. With her not changing yet, I almost felt bad for her because if I was in that situation I would feel so left out and out of place. Also, the realization that Locke, Asher, Kade and Darian were mates was amazinngggg, because I was so waiting for it!

Overall, I cannot WAIT to see how this story ends!! Also I loved reading the bonus chapter about Cara! I'm excited for the other bonus chapters in the next book about her!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
21 reviews
June 23, 2023
Ths curse of monsters

This is the 3rd installment of this series and man does it keep getting better and better. Ive never laughed and cried so much with a series before. What a rollarcoster. In this book things are coming to a boiling point for the characters and had me on the edge of my seat. I could not put the book down till it was finished and left me wanting more. Mia Hartson is an amazing author and i highly highly recommend reading her books. Start with book one!! I promise you wont regret it.
My favorite MC is Asher, the funny sarcastic one of the group. Then Kade, the protector filled with lots of love. Then Dar, the romantic and sometimes goof. And last is Lock, the leader, the stern one who eventually caves to love. Raine the FMC is a sarcastic women learning who she really is while falling for these guys hard. They give me goosebumps 💜💜
Profile Image for Kimberli.
407 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2024
Ok

While there is nothing wrong with the writing, I feel like we've had really slow progress. At times I found myself bored. Raine just isn't growing fast enough. She gets scared of things and fails to react. Her magic seems to be a last recourse for her when she could be using it to prevent things from happening. I understand it's new to her, but it's not like you can forget you have amazing new powers. Why wait until you, or your guys, are hurt before reacting?

Also, the whole fae world thing seemed rather unnecessary. It honestly dragged for me. Yes, I already suspected Raine was fae. But them going to the fae world just added a completely different dimension to the story. I feel like we have two separate plots now. I assume they'll come together in the next book, but it made for a lot of skimming on my part because I was bored.
Profile Image for neeshreads.
384 reviews18 followers
May 19, 2024
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

This third installment did not disappoint! Book 3 picks up right where we left off in book 2. Raine and her four monsters enter the fae realm, determined to try and prevent a war between the fae and the monsters of Katakin, while also discovering the secrets to break the curse on Katakin. The fae realm is as beautiful as it is dangerous, and Mia Hartson does a phenomenal job of world building of the fae realm. The story is fast paced, there is plenty of action, a nice balance between spice and plot, intrigue and mystery, and what a plot twist when we get some crucial information about Raine’s sister, Raine’s background, and the unexpected change Raine undergoes when we all realize she didn’t escape the curse on Katakin after all! Can’t wait to see how this wraps up!
44 reviews2 followers
June 3, 2025
I quit

I read the 1st 2 books and by the second book I started skimming now I've hit the 3rd book and within the 1st 5 chapters I've become so bored with this that I've just stopped. I don't care what happens to the group I don't care what happens in the story. It just drags on and on and on. It's like there's no growth with the characters this harem never becomes a complete harem we're in book 3 and we're still not even bonded properly. I just don't care to read any further It's not A burn book at all there is no slow medium or hot to it It's just boring and drags on. I don't think I'll be looking into this author again this is the second set I've tried to read and again it just never seems to fully develop. We are in book 3 and we still don't even know what type of monster the girl is.
Profile Image for Lyndi (mibookobsession).
1,604 reviews48 followers
June 20, 2023
After surviving the outliers and rescuing the fae prince in the second book, Raine and her four monsters enter the fae realm determined to discover the secret to breaking the curse over Katakin. But this world holds new dangers that threaten their lives and the very bonds that hold them together. Especially when Raine discovers that she didn't escape the curse after all...
I picked up the first book as an ARC on a whim and I've been hooked ever since. The world building in the series is fascinating and I've grown attached to each one of the characters. I can't wait to find out what happens next, especially with the shocking reveal at the end!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Khurram.
2,384 reviews6,692 followers
June 6, 2024
This is the best book of the series for me so far. I wanted to give this book 4.5 stars. The only reason I wanted to take half a star off was that there were too many knockouts. At the end of every chapter, the main characters have been knocked out, and the next chapter starts with them waking up. That was my only complaint about this book, so it did deserve a round up.

Raine and the monsters are in the realm of the Fae. Can they prevent a war? Can they get the information they want? There are revelations galore in this book right yo the end and even in the bonus story.

A good nook that finally answered a number of questions I had from the first book. There are a lot of big things to come. I have extremely high expectations for the next book.
Profile Image for Tonika.
280 reviews5 followers
October 11, 2025
ugh so much happening. Loved it.

going into fae, a new environment, and possibly an ally or a new enemy. the things everyone goes through. we also finally get to know what Raine is! whoop whoop.

Darian the silver haired merman monster MMC with piercing blue eyes

Locke the dark and broody Vampire monster MMC with onyx eyes

Asher the large demon monster MMC with violet eye

Kade: large shifter monster MMC with golden eyes

Raine human FMC chosen 1 of 12 chosen to be sacrificed by her village to the monsters.

Tropes:
- kid napping & c@ptivity
- Experiments
- Curses
- Demons
- Shifters
- Vampires
- Sirens
- mates
- fae
- assination attempted and one succeeded
- RH
124 reviews
November 2, 2025
Loved it (slight spoiler)

I’m so incredibly curious to read the next book that it’s taking me a second to remember exactly what I thought about this book and not wonder what the end result will be. This book did reveal the fae and some truths about their history with monsters and what happened to the FMC’s sister. Loved seeing the relationship grow between the FMC and her MMCs, but do have admit my favourite moments where when one of her mates was hit in the rear. Had few giggles over the comments/thoughts regarding it. Thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend whilst I rush into the next book.
15 reviews
July 24, 2023
I love this series, i fly through them, cant belive i have to wait till January for the next instalment.

Mia grips you right from the start and its impossible to put down, action packed and the Men, they all have there own personalitys and you can tell who saying what without Mia telling us whose speaking as you just know the characters voices and what they would each say.

My fav is probably Asher with locke a strong 2nd, Im thinking he will prob overtake Asher in the next book as he comes out of his self a bit more.

This is a fantasic book and even if you removed the Spice its still a good book with a good plot, and the spice is perfect just the right amount.
Profile Image for Seashell .
186 reviews1 follower
September 11, 2023
Exciting follow up! The action starts right where the last one leaves off, sucking you right back into the thick of the story. The fae realm this author has imagined is as beautiful as it is dangerous. As expected this story was fast pace, action packed, full of intrigue and unexpected surprises. It was also with excitement that I realized that the series wouldn't end with this 3rd book. I can't wait to get the next instalment in this series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Wendy K..
363 reviews1 follower
August 16, 2024
Monsters, monsters, monsters. Monsters are everywhere and spoiler but Raine finally turns into one in this book. I knew she wasn’t fully human. I’m not going to tell you what she turns into, but she is a powerful beast for sure. And I love it. This book really continues the story and the ending was fantastic. I can’t wait to start the next one.

Raine and her men journey for a short time into the Fae realm in hopes of learning how to break the curse. However, circumstances change and they are forced to flee before they can figure it all out. Along the way, they encounter some pretty interesting foes and realistically can’t wait to get out of the Fae realm.

Back at home, the bad monsters are starting to take over and they have to fight their way to safety. There is a really bad person who is trying to stop them from breaking the curse. I will say though, this book really highlighted that the curse may not be what it seems. All of the people in this world have learned to live with their monster abilities and I think they might come to find that they are assets and strengths. Guess we will see.

Small note: There is a bonus chapter that gives us a glimpse of what happened to Raine’s sister. Raine is on a background mission this whole time to try to find out what happened to her sister. She doesn’t know this info yet, but the author gives the readers a glimpse.
379 reviews1 follower
October 4, 2025
Wow. So much happening in the book and we are FINALLY getting some answers! Raine and her men are in fairy land trying to figure out how to stop a war between the two. I think they would have gotten a lot more answers if they would have stopped knocking the prince out. Has Asher always had the southern drawl am I only now noticing it? Glad Locke finally got on board to realize the bond is true. Can't wait to see how this story will end.
Profile Image for Paola.
204 reviews14 followers
June 23, 2023
I received an arc of this book and leaving this review voluntarily

Ok so I’ve been following this series since book one and can I just say I love how much the plot has thickened? I love how easy it is to get sucked into the world and I’m so excited for the next book! If you want a binge worthy why choose series featuring monsters and fae this one is for you!
Profile Image for Kathryn.
414 reviews5 followers
June 29, 2023
This was book 3 of the series and it was another great addition! It picks up right where the previous book ended, which was a portal into the fae realm. It was great to see the fae realm and a bit of what's going on over there and how they really feel about the monsters and humans. Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the next one!
100 reviews
February 13, 2024
OK I'm fully invested now and really enjoying this series. The storyline is riveting. There's twists, there's turns, there's surprises.

A few moments that are annoyingly sappy and unnecessary but overall a really fun book in a really fun series.

There's not a ton of spice but I'm so into the story I can't find myself caring.

Totally looking forward to book 4
Profile Image for Carmen.
928 reviews2 followers
December 17, 2024
Finally

She new she had magic but never thought she would become a monster they went to the fae rein to try to see if they could undo the curse only to find things they never new existed to fighting for there lives then to get back to there on realm only to be attacked and she was captured by the deranged vampire until she became her monster read on
Profile Image for Amy.
176 reviews
March 17, 2025
I’m really enjoying the unique storyline in this series. While I still think the books would do better if they were combined and this was potentially a duology, It is mostly the first two books that would do better combined into one. This is a RH book, so there are definitely some spicy 🌶️ scenes; however, the plot holds up on its own.
Profile Image for Sam.
65 reviews2 followers
June 18, 2023
Excellent continuation of the saga from the first 2 books, I literally fell into the story with no problems at all. It progresses along and makes you want to greedily gobble up the next page all the way to the end. And the end.....like whaaaaat??!! Brilliant and worth the 5* all day long.
7 reviews
October 24, 2023
The book is good. I like smutty reads, with characters with big personalities. It definitely kept he guessing, but it can be a bit corny. If you like fantasy, reverse harmen and aren’t concerned about the quantity of writing it’s a great book.
942 reviews2 followers
March 17, 2024
Still enjoying the series but spinning out the plot line about the missing sister. New characters and different world keeping things interesting. Not sure how it’s going to finish in final book but looking forward to finding out.
Profile Image for Show Me The Sea.
162 reviews17 followers
August 26, 2024
Obsessed

Nothing is getting done in my house. I’m obsessed with this series.

They aren’t too dragged out. The spice scenes are hot but not too much. There’s romance and the FMC is a boss and has the respect of her mates

So sad that there’s only one left.
832 reviews
August 5, 2025
Love this series!

What will happen next to the little human female that forced the monsters to pick her as an offering? Follow Rainie as she fights for herself and her mates. Will she find her sister after 10 years of waiting for the offering to happen again? I highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews

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