Reviewed by Nikyta J.

TITLE: Blessed Curses
AUTHOR: Madeline Ribbon
LENGTH: 168 pages
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
BLURB: Though he’s a sorcerer with a talent for creating blessings, David can do very little with any other magic. He works the night shift for his cousin’s magical supply shop because he’s cursed—his brother did it when they were kids—and now people can’t stand to be near David since he inspires irrational fear. Many experts have tried to remove it, but the curse has proven completely binding. Then David meets Vaughn at his brother’s wedding.

Vaughn works for the magical enforcers, picking apart complex curses and making sure sorcerers stay within the law. He has the ability to dampen magical effects around him and loves solving supposedly irreversible curses like David’s. He quickly develops a more personal interest in David. Despite the distance David attempts to keep between them, he finally realizes when Vaughn is injured on the job that he doesn’t want to stay away anymore. But what about the curse?

REVIEW:

This was a cute story about David who was cursed as a boy by his jealous brother to inspire irrational fear in anyone or anything that gets close to him. He’s lived twenty years with this curse in which only his brother could withstand his company for more than a few minutes. At his brother’s wedding, he meets Vaughn, the bride’s best friend, who works as an enforcer at Arcana, which is like the police for all types of magical crimes and such. Vaughn loves puzzles so he loves breaking curses. When he meets David with the intention of helping to break his curse, it’s lust at first sight instead. David’s lived years feeling lonely so he has a hard time thinking Vaughn wants him for more than just as a chance to cure the ‘Impossible Kid’ as Arcana has nicknamed David. To be with David, Vaughn has to prove his love but in the process will he be able to cure David?

I’ve got to say, I absolutely adored David. The life he’s lived is so sad and lonely, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. To live decades with a curse that not only affects others but you as well must be brutal and because of that he’s a bit jaded and confused when Vaughn shows interest in him. At the same time, he’s this cute little nerd that has so many layers to him. It’s hard for me to describe Vaughn. I couldn’t clearly visualize the way he looks but he has a strong personality that seems genuine. I loved the way he handled David and how he tries to woe him. I loved the endearment he calls David, it’s so cute.

The story deals with mainly Vaughn and David tentatively starting a relationship and how they manage to get around David’s curse. Vaughn was born with a suppression power that enables him to suppress anything that seems harmful to Vaughn. There’s also a few side conflicts such as how Vaughn tries to break David’s curse but also deals with someone breaking into magical practitioner shops to steal a powerful herb so there’s a bit of a mystery regarding that. All together it is a little overwhelming and sometimes things go slightly too fast but it’s still a fun read and I loved the way the author handled the conflict revolving around curing David’s curse. I think it fit the story very well.

While I enjoyed the book very much, I missed the fact that more time wasn’t spent on Vaughn physically looking for answers to the curse. I wish the story was just a tad bit longer because I would have loved to see Vaughn and David out as a couple and not just secluded in their homes. To experience them in a more public setting would have legitimized the feelings between the two for me.

All in all, this was a light, fun read that had me laughing at times and feeling bad for the characters at others. I loved the world the author created because she has a smooth writing style that made it fascinating but not too confusing. I hope there’s more to come of either Vaughn and David or other characters within this world because it would be amazing to explore it further. Definitely recommended.

Nikyta’s Rating:

BUY LINK: Dreamspinner Press

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Nikyta J. is one of the official reviewers on The Blog of Sid Love.

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