In this thrilling YA fantasy/mystery duology from award-winning author Katy Pool, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with one of the most powerful nobles in Caraza City to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron. You sure can!” she chirped, shouldering off the wall. “You can start by telling me why you cursed the prima ballerina of the Monarch Ballet.” Marlow’s world of corruption and cunning had me completely enthralled. A fresh, fascinating magic system, an intricate blend of fantasy meets mystery, and a riveting fake dating romance—I devoured this in a single day .” — Amanda Foody, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the All of Us Villains duology

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow’s old friend and scion of one of Caraza’s most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families. PDF / EPUB File Name: Garden_of_the_Cursed_-_Katy_Rose_Pool.pdf, Garden_of_the_Cursed_-_Katy_Rose_Pool.epub Do my eyes deceive me? Or is that Marlow Briggs I see skulking around this very fine establishment?” Before Thaddeus can succeed in harming Marlow, a woman who Marlow has sensed following her comes into the corridor and intimidates Thaddeus into standing down.

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Except later that evening, Marlow finds her cat playing with the invitation to the Regatta, and it's host piques Marlow's interest in an older case she's been working on. In chapter one, we meet our protagonist, Marlow, who is investigating a curse placed on a prima ballerina at a dangerous old shipyard. Hopefully, we get more world-building in the second book. In the beginning, we learn that spells and curses are carried in playing cards. Such a unique concept, but it was never expanded on. About halfway through the book, we learn that bullets can carry hexes as well. So, what decides what can carry a curse? Why can bullets carry hexes, when nothing else in the book is able to do so? They talk about spell casting, so can wizards carry wands? There was no expansion on this idea, which was frustrating. This could have been such a good selling point for the book. As for the rest of the world, there's nothing new. It reads like any other sci-fi/dystopian world, with the poor sector and the rich one. For a moment Marlow’s fear dulled the edges of her mind. She swallowed it down and forced herself to meet Bane’s cruel gray eyes with another smile.

All in all this was a solid start to a series with a great cliffhanger. A fun diverse cast, lots of growing room for future books, and just enough reveals to keep you guessing!

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I don't want to give too much away about this romance. But I loved it, it was slow burn for sure. The characters make it 100% worth it. Their banter and interactions are genuine. Marlow sits on the counter of Bowery Spellshop eating a chocolate stuffed biscuit and drinking tea while her friend Swift fusses next to her with an Aristan machine. Marlow is a fierce and brave protagonist. Smart, snarky, and a bit antagonistic, she’s determined to find out what happened to her mother who disappeared a year ago. But when Adrius comes to her for help, she finds it hard to say no to the male who broke her heart all those months ago. I love Adrius too, though his character is more difficult to understand, as he remains an enigma for much of the story. He definitely has the broody, moody bad-boy attitude that I love in a MMC. Other characters, including Marlow’s best friend and Adrius’s friends and family, are also quite compelling, and I’m excited to see where their stories lead. Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society , all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother's disappearance. T his edge-of-your-seat duology finale is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars , These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron . As Katy Rose Pool’s inventive and engaging Garden of the Cursed opens, a potential client turns up in the form of Adrius Falcrest, Marlow’s former friend and scion of one of the wealthy and powerful Five Families. Despite their now-frosty relationship, Adrius implores her to break a curse that threatens the lives and fortune of his family.

You want to tell me why a midlevel ship-breaker foreman spent over two hundred pearls to curse the prima ballerina in the Monarch Ballet?”Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt & Company, and Katy Rose Pool for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

High-stakes action and bureaucratic intrigue abound, but it’s Marlow and Adrius’s charged relationship that keep tensions elevated. Sumptuous worldbuilding and fully realized, intersectionally diverse characters further enhance this enticing tale." — Publishers Weekly, starred review In this enemies-to-lovers romantasy mystery, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with a powerful noble to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance. Guess she figured out what the rest of us already knew—you can’t wash the swamp off the swamp rat.”

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Marlow Briggs desperately wants to find her mother who disappeared a year ago. When Adrius Falcresrt bargains to hire her to break a curse, she agrees knowing she will be able to search for clues to find her mother in the Evergarden society. Though posing as his once-again lover after he spurned her is not how she expected to be walking among the elite again. Someone else knows why she’s there and about the curse on Adrius and consequences of talking to the wrong person could be deadly for them both. Both the mystery and fantasy aspects were well balanced. Both were engaging on their own, but together they were an elevated reading experience. I lied,” she said, nudging his arm with her boot as he groaned in pain. “I’m not going to ask a second time.”