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The Witch of Hollow Woods #2

How To Break a Curse in Five Simple Steps

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A witch curse is a hell of a thing to deal with when you’re immortal

Nice to meet you. My name is Catarina Ash. You’ve probably read about me. Wife of Bath ring a bell? The Loathly Lady stories used to be wildly popular. I used to have a thing for dating writers. I don’t take credit for the Viking story, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Cadence was so proud of the curse she put on me, she repeated it on another witch. She throws out curses like candy and probably has a few repeats.

I’m cursed to walk the earth as a wrinkled crone unless I can find love. What they don’t tell you in all the stories about the Loathly Lady is that since I’m immortal, when my love dies, I revert back to the crone unless I can find love again. I’ve retreated to my enchanted woods, hoping to just shrivel up and die, until one day, I feel a horrible aura sneaking around in my woods. My foresight tells me the human that aura belongs to is going to eventually lead me towards the path of breaking my curse for good. Edward Solomon is in my woods hoping to steal my land and build a university. Somehow, that university is important, but I don’t know why.

All I’m armed with is a cryptic feeling in my gut that giving this horrible man a part of my land and making a deal with him will lead me towards the right path. I’ve got my familiar here to guide me, but sometimes, she can’t keep the present and future straight and I’m not sure what she’s talking about. The answer to breaking my curse is there, but I will have to wait, learning ancient magic of my ancestors, tricking Cadence’s curse with men from the university, and trying to find the missing piece to breaking my curse

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2019

18 people are currently reading
65 people want to read

About the author

J.B. Trepagnier

121 books806 followers
USA Today Bestselling Author JB Trepagnier is secretly 30 feral cats in a trench coat and combat boots writing romance with a shared feral cat hive mind.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for Kat.
Author 14 books588 followers
April 12, 2019
Quirky and fun! Sixteen-year-old witch Catarina is living in her village with her parents, being mentored (unfortunately) by the evil witch Cadence, whose warlock husband has a wandering eye. When that eye turns towards Catarina, Cadence gets jealous, and places a curse upon her, turning her from a young beautiful girl into an old hag. Only true love can transform her into her old form, and only for as long as her lover survives.

Fast-forward quite a few centuries. Cadence is surviving, has some lovers, but there’s no way to break the curse without killing the witch who placed it. Some jumping back and forth between Catarina telling her story and progressing through it, which occasionally got the teensiest bit confusing just since there were so many points in our timeline, although I enjoyed the complexity of the world-building and the fact that this is a well-fleshed out world.

Favorite scenes included those with Lilura the raven, who was a complete hoot! This is full of hilarious one-liners like sexting via raven (Catarina can’t seem to grasp how Tinder works, lol), trekkie jokes, and the steamy times are well done as always. I’ve read quite a few paranormal books by JB, and I love the way each one digs into the subgenre, whether we’re talking aliens or vamps or shifters. This one went all out with the witchiness, caldrons, making of certain necessary supplements for activities in the bedroom by potion and spellcasting and familiars, oh my! All in all, a fun tale!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Profile Image for Lots Book Love .
467 reviews41 followers
July 6, 2019
Catarina is cursed and now her woods are about to be taken over. She can't continue being this old haha when she knows how beautiful she can be. She only needs to find someone to live her and all in the world will be right. JB Trepagnier pulled me in from the beginning and kept me glued to the story, I just had to see what happened next

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews113 followers
Want to read
February 14, 2020
🎁 The Witch of Hollow Woods (2 book series) is FREE on Amazon today (2/14/2020)! 🎁
Profile Image for Kayla Krantz.
Author 45 books739 followers
April 7, 2019
JB Trepagnier always has the quirkiest works, and this one is no different. We start at the end of the story and are slowly told bits and pieces of what events have led up to the present. We learn why Catarina is living alone in a woods, about her curse, how she was able to break it, and most importantly, how she keeps her relationship with four beautiful men alive.

As a reverse harem novel, it was a bit tamer than other books I’ve read, but interesting all the same. I think my favorite character in the entire book was Lilura, Catarina’s familiar. Their back-and-forths were hilarious with Lilura’s snarky comments. Even though the theme of the book is sex and releasing inhibition, I felt as if Catarina really developed as a character throughout the piece, and that made the work even more captivating.
Profile Image for Agata Jędrzejewska.
860 reviews3 followers
March 23, 2019
It was interesting, sexy and quite quirky story. Catarina is strong witch, with one in a kind character. She is strong and compassionate in same time. It was real fun and wonderful journey watching her going trough all hardnesses, growing in power, learning new things and finding her way to end her curse. Her exchanges with Lilura did just cracked me up, and all the geek references made my heart jump a bit. I did really really appreciate this story.
10.6k reviews124 followers
April 4, 2019
I've read several books written by JB Trepagnier; she has done a great job at writing a fantastic book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of books her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for M.L. Tompsett.
Author 17 books36 followers
April 7, 2019
I enjoyed the twists of the storyline. The life story of Catarina Ash, and how she became the wrinkled old crone. We follow how Caterina outwitted the local dean, while she searched for the one who cast the curse on her, Caterina’s old mentor Cadence. As we read the pages we learn what Caterina had to do to survive throughout the centuries with her familiar - Lilura by her side. A happy ending for all.
Profile Image for Katie Thompson.
361 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2019
There are so many things to love about this book. There’s the allusions to classical literature, the reimagining of witchy lore, the amazing sense of humor that runs throughout the book, the fantastic narrative, the familiar who uses modern day language in the 19th century... Oh, and all of this wrapped up with a Reverse Harem. Super fantastic!
Profile Image for Heather Mcannally.
23 reviews
March 18, 2019
I really liked this book. It took a bit to get used to the layout (you kinda start towards then end and get the “back story” as you go) but I realized that, with the amount of time that this story spanned, it was the best way. Loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Tori Puente.
251 reviews9 followers
Read
April 9, 2019
**DNF at 84%**

I really, really tried to finish this. I knew the risk in reading a new-to-me author, and unfortunately this just didn't click with me. The premise sounded interesting (I love the Canterbury Tales), but the characterization and plotting seemed really off. Somehow I didn't feel like the centuries Catarina lived or the present were portrayed enough for me to get a sense of either setting. Felt like there was zero explanation for some key points, for instance: a major character who should have been mentioned pretty close to the beginning shows up almost midway through the book, and then suddenly it was, "oh yeah, so-and-so has been with Catarina since two years after the beginning conflict". So centuries! But was just suddenly added to the story. Weird.

And believe me, I have no problem with taboo & age gap romance, but it creeped me out that she had been . Nor did I get much of a sense of their personalities, which made it hard to understand why they were so different than the many other lovers she's had over the years.

These are only a few issues I had, but basically nothing made much sense to me. There were also tons of distracting spelling & grammar errors through about the first 60% of the book.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
321 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2021
An entertaining, intense tale, full of love, laughter and hot times.
A Dean who is evil gets what he deserves.
A witch with her 4 new lovers tell her tale. A tale that is very old.
A witch from a coven taken over by an evil witch only good in curses.
The good witch cursed flees to undue the curse not just for her but others cursed in her coven.
She does not start the first step until after she was given them in inheritance.and a man intended to trick her out of her lands to build an University.
Once it has students she has send 4 freshman.
Her familiar is hilariousand could make things a bit easier on her.
Some of the steps take her a long time to be able to complete them.
I love the scene when her and her true loves are outside then flowers come out of the ground.
I loved her getting reunited with her family.
I really enjoyed the epilogue.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
6,026 reviews38 followers
July 19, 2021
Our heroine bears a curse that she wants to break, but she only has the vaguest idea of how to go about it. But she has learned a thing or two about efficiency in her long years, so perhaps trying out multiple tests at once will help.

This is book two of the series and the main book. It is not necessary to read the previous book in order to enjoy this one, but it doesn't hurt either.

This is an erotic story with a bit of the paranormal and more than a bit of reverse harem. The story is well written, easy to read and rather fun. The characters are nicely done, particularly our heroine who definitely has a bit of a back story. The plot is easy to follow but still includes several interesting twists to keep it fun. We also get plenty of steam which is also fun. Overall, a highly entertaining story and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Highly recommended

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
Profile Image for Caroline Doig.
5,439 reviews49 followers
April 6, 2019
Another fantastic story by J.B. Trepagnier I enjoyed it immensely. Catarina has been cursed to walk through life as a crone until she finds love and when that love dies she reverts back to an old crone and the curse keeps playing like that over and over until she can find someone to break it. Living in the Enchanted Woods wanting to die Catarina see’s the aura of a human male sneaking around her woods and somehow he is the one that will break her curse. I do believe that you should read book 1 first it’s a Reverse Harem and it al starts off in book 1 The Witch of Hollow Woods so if you haven’t read that one then you might get a bit confused, this is book 2 of The Witch of Hollow Woods and it’s a fantastic story and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.
Profile Image for Dharia Scarab.
3,255 reviews8 followers
February 5, 2021

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
636 reviews8 followers
July 29, 2021
This is the second book in the Duology of Witch of Hollow Woods. It picks up just after Catarina's cursed Cassandra, and Edward is no longer in the picture. Catarina recounts to her lovers of her journey of breaking her curse. It's a fun paranormal reverse harem story where the Witch has an incredible way of breaking her curse through Santuu poly sex magic. I particularly liked the familiar Lilura. She may no longer be able to have sex but boy does she love her porn. Her sassy mouth and quirky personality was a good offset to Catarina. There were some grammatical errors but doesn't detract from the story itself. Loved the story!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Mysty Sinclair.
277 reviews2 followers
January 13, 2021
I have been waiting to read this book for ages. I am so happy that I was finally able to read it after so long. As a fan of Trepagnier, I have to say that this book is one of her more funnier books, full of humor and the occasional flirty joke. I loved this book just like I loved the first one. I would still recommend reading the first one before reading the second book so that you could enjoy it to the fullest. It was a quick read and I throughly enjoyed reading it. Check out my blog post about this book to see what else I had to say about it!
Profile Image for Eliza.
698 reviews6 followers
July 14, 2021
I loved getting answers to how Caterina got cursed and what led her up to the events of The Witch of Hollow Woods. I loved all the twists and turns the plot took and the characters that she meets along the way. In sense it is both a prequel and epilogue to the short story. It pleased me greatly and I had a hard time putting it down. I could see her familiar as a character from another of Trepangnier's works. I loved all the references and how they would continue to confuse the main character.

Five out of Five stars

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
5,964 reviews41 followers
July 15, 2021
steamy reverse harem and growled pains paranormal adventures

not only does the former crone face the challenge of breaking her own curse, the damage Cassandra did to other covens, witches , familiars and places was epic

only with the help and forgiveness for each other can the covens and familiars find new beginnings - with the help of Catarina, a bevy of creative familiars and too many who suffered from the machinations of Cassandra

creative love can find a way - with unique and inventive and steamy twists

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Profile Image for Carissa Salyer.
2 reviews2 followers
March 28, 2019
So this is a hard book to be objective about, as I didn't realize this was a reverse harem. It's well written, the author does jump back and forth between the past and present. There were no five steps per say in breaking the curse just lots and lots of time and trying to stave of the curse until the time was right. There are funny moments, I particularly enjoyed the geeky raven. Overall the author wrote a good story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
7 reviews
July 20, 2021
To be honest, I am not usually a fan of stories that bounce around in the timeline but I didnt mind it here! The sequel to The Witch of Hollow Woods, this book picks up right where the last left off and then went WAY back to explain everything that has happened up to the present day. JB Trepagnier writes the most wicked, twisted, sexxy stories... I think I'm in love! Catarina's familiar (Lilura) is amazing and snarky and the men throughout the years sweet. Loved it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jessica Luyckx.
333 reviews
March 22, 2019
Oke,
In the beginning the book confused me, because she start at the (almost) end and she looks back.
I love the story, and could not put it down( and I should study :) for my exam next week )
the story is wellthought and is very detailed. really loved that.
Will probaply read it again in the future :)

1 think I really not like is the title of this book. If you read it, it is not simple to break the curse
Profile Image for Melinda.
81 reviews
March 25, 2019
Interesting story with great characters. The best of all was Lilura, she was really funny with all her inappropriate sayings and in the same time a very supportive and protective familiar for her witch. All the male characters were unique, and let's face it, yummy university guys. I liked that even if Catarina had magic, she still had to be a really patient person and believe in her goals to be able to have success in baby steps. An enjoyable and light read.
Profile Image for Michelle Shemon.
383 reviews4 followers
March 30, 2019
How to Break a Curse in Five Simple Steps
A Paranomal Reverse Harem Romance
The Witch of Hollow Woods Book 2
JB Trepagnier

This was good. I just loved Lilura the raven. She was the funniest familiar character I have read in a while. Catarina and her guys were great to read about. The characters were interesting, and fun. I loved the twists in the book. They held my attention, and kept me turning the pages.
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews212 followers
May 10, 2019
Great story line and characters, Awesome !! Loved this book. The storyline was so interesting that it had me turning pages in anticipation of where it would lead . I was very intrigued with the characters in the story. Simply awesome . Definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read. I would recommend to others. Worth the read and the money!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,406 reviews11 followers
July 9, 2021
Cadence had cursed Catarina and most of her coven - but Catarina managed to escape. She has to live as a crone, until she finds true love. Could she ever find Cadence and break the evil witch's curse? First, she has to find the missing piece of her soul - and it turns out to be four men. Will she succeed? Loved this story!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Debbie Pierce.
143 reviews1 follower
July 17, 2021
Catarina is cursed by her mentor to be an old crone until she finds someone who wants her and loves her. She then would revert to her true self. She runs to America where she finds a forest that she enchants to keep people out. A man finds his way there and she uses him to put the curse on hold till she can figure out a way to end the curse. I love this author. This is a page turner.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3,157 reviews20 followers
July 24, 2021
Steamy History, Satisfying Ending

This story is a more fulsome telling of The Witch of Hollow Woods, with plenty of hopping through timelines to visit the past and crucial events. Catarina’s story is one of a young woman cursed who becomes a strong modern woman with four soulmates. I really liked how the visits to the past became part of the story she told her lovers. Stand-alone and satisfying, the ending surprised me a bit, but only in a good way.
Profile Image for Rachel Benham.
580 reviews5 followers
July 29, 2021
I loved it. The book draws you in and starts off after the night that Catarina receives her new men. They ask her story and about her curse. It was a heartbreaking tale but the ending was the best. The emotions and feelings that were conveyed through out the book was just great. Not to mention the steamy love scenes. Could not put it down.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Michelle.
10.3k reviews28 followers
August 2, 2021
This book takes the reader on an interesting ride and the way it started out was unique. I love getting to hear from Catarina as she tells us about her journey to break the curse. From the crazy fun characters to the captivating storyline this is a great read. I definitely recommend this book and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Ferguson.
43 reviews
March 25, 2019
Really great read!

Didn't know what to expect when I picked up the 1st book. It grabbed my attention and held on. This book was a really great short read! But now I want to know more about Raina and Cadence and the others' pasts! Hope JB writes more and includes stories about the other characters! Especially the raven.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews

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