Jessica S. TaylorReview: A Cursed Heart by Jenny Hickman
It’s release day for A Cursed Heart by Jenny Hickman! This is book 2 in the Myths of Airren series, but can be read as a standalone! This one focuses on the siblings of Tadgh and Keelynn, our very favorite Rían and Aveen! And let me tell you, I cannot wait for you guys to meet them!
Read my review of A Cursed Kiss here.
Jenny was super awesome and gifted me an ARC and a few moments of her time, so make sure to read all the way to the end for a fun Q&A with her!
Rating
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating: 🔥🔥 (or a 6 on the RCRS)
If you need a reminder of how I rate my books, specifically how I rate my spice rating, please refer here. My ratings may not be your ratings, and that’s okay.
World Building
We dove right back into the world of Greystones, but we went back a bit from Keelynn’s story in A Cursed Kiss! This backwards jump really helped flesh out the world and give it depth that would have been overwhelming in the first book. Seeing everything from Aveen’s more experienced and more jaded point of view was amazing and insightful.
The world of Tadgh and Rían was also more developed in this book, with Rían’s actions adding intricacies to the grounds and the world. It was so much fun to get to learn more, and I can’t wait to see what we get in the future.
Character Development
Keelynn’s book made it difficult to know what to expect with Aveen, but once we got into it, I was head over heels in love. The pure sisterly love was stunning, and Aveen is definitely a new crush for me.
Now our naughty little Rían… what are we gonna do with you hot stuff? What more could you want than a foul mouthed fae, ready to glamour himself into a woman simply to continue irritating you because he knows you secretly like it. Talk about enemies to lovers. Big big fan. Don’t tell Tadgh, but big brother is my favorite.
Plot
I absolutely love how Jenny approached the plot to this book, and to this series as a whole. These books can be read as standalones, but the plots still intertwine beautifully to give a full picture of what both sets of siblings are up against. Rían and Aveen have a different path and a different set of struggles to overcome than Keelynn and Tadgh, but they overlap beautifully and complement each other.
I highly highly recommend reading the series in order. It will give you the nuances needed to truly appreciate what’s going on.
Spice
Rían may not have the extensive… erm… experience of his brother, but he’s not a slouch by any means. I am a fan of the spice. It’s not super smutty by any means, but the tension and the spice we do get is absolutely toe curling.
Q&A With Jenny
Q: What got you into writing? Reading?
A: On my annual family beach vacation after I graduated high school, I borrowed one of my mom’s paberback romance novels and fell in love with all things romance. From that sunny day forward, I never wanted to read anything else.
Q: Where do you find your inspiration for your books?
A: It probably sounds cliche but I find inspiration everywhere. I once had a dream about mirrors as portals. Book. Wrote about it. I’ve always been fascinated by Peter Pan and wished I could fly. So I created a world where that could happen. That’s the fabulous thing about books, isn’t it? You can literally make all your dreams come true.
Q: If you could bring your books to life, either series, who would you cast as your main characters?
A: I always struggle with this question. 🫣 I know no actors anymore because I’m a hermit lol. But I do have a Pinterest board for each of my books. Does that count?
Q: Who are some of your inspirations and favorite authors?
A: I will always and forever be a fan of Sarah J Maas mostly because she really got me into reading fantasy. I also love Nicole Fiorina’s writing, it’s so epic and poetic and her stories are unapologetically dark and human and beautiful. And lately I’ve been obsessed with Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti’s Zodiac Academy series. Those books are so addictive they must be laced with something.
Q: What do you hope readers get out of your books?
A: I hope readers find an escape between the pages of my books—and maybe a laugh or two along the way.
Book Information
A Cursed Heart
Living on an island plagued by magic and mythical monsters isn’t a fairy tale . . . it’s a nightmare.
Aveen is the perfect lady, placid and well-mannered, concealing her discontentment beneath false smiles and gentle nods. As the eldest, her duty has always been to her family legacy and her sister’s happiness. But when she finds herself forced into betrothal to a man she loathes, she swears she’ll do anything to escape. Even if it means bargaining with a wicked fae prince.
Rían is a devious half-fae with a dark secret, concealing his true nature beneath glamours and lies. When a fascinating human accidentally catches his eye, it’s clear he’ll do anything to take her for himself. Including making promises he can’t-or won’t-keep.
Confronting hidden dangers and haunting pasts, the two reluctantly come to rely on each other to survive a world where nothing is what it seems and darkness encroaches from all sides.
Will their tangled web of lies bring freedom they crave . . . or will it unravel them both?