The Damned

I don’t even know where to start so I’ll just say this.. This book is wildly well written and the plot is top tier. The ending had me yelling because how can it end on such a note. I need the fourth book immediately!

Chegou dentro do prazo, tudo certinho

I was counting down the days until The Damned released, and somehow Harper Woods still managed to exceed every expectation I had. First of all, if you've read The Coven and The Cursed, then you already know that Harper has absolutely no problem leaving her readers hanging by the edge of their sanity after every ending. I foolishly thought I was prepared this time. I was not. I genuinely don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself after that ending. I suspected where things might be headed, but that didn't make experiencing it any less devastating. I closed the book and just sat there staring at a random object in my house trying to process my life choices. And honestly? I'd do it all over again. Margot and Beelzebub completely stole my heart. I already knew I was intrigued by them after the ending of The Cursed, but I wasn't prepared for how deeply invested I would become in their story. Watching Margot navigate her trauma, guilt, healing, and self-worth was beautifully written and incredibly emotional. Her journey felt so raw and real that there were moments I genuinely had tears in my eyes. And Beelzebub? Please excuse me while I add "obsessed archdemon with wings who would burn down the nine circles of hell for his woman" to my ever-growing list of fictional men I will never recover from. The devotion. The patience. The protectiveness. The way he respected Margot's boundaries while simultaneously being absolutely gone for her? I was completely obsessed with how obsessed he was. Watching him realize that what he thought was a spell was actually love made my heart melt. The romance is an absolutely torturous slow burn, and I mean that as the highest compliment possible. Every interaction between them felt meaningful. Every moment of tension mattered. And when the emotional payoff finally arrives? Completely worth every second of waiting. I also have to talk about the world-building because the journey through the Nine Circles of Hell was incredible. Dark, imaginative, haunting, emotional, and immersive in a way that made me feel like I was traveling alongside them every step of the way. And can we please discuss the fact that Margot is a siren? Because that remains one of the coolest things I've ever read. This book had everything I love: emotional healing, forced proximity, impossible devotion, unbearable tension, heartbreak, hope, and one of the most compelling couples I've read in a very long time. And then Harper Woods ripped my heart out, stomped on it, and walked away smiling. So yes, I immediately need the next book. 💜 This is an infinity read and will remain forever shelved within The Wisteria Library. 🪻

Nice

[Warning: This review contains spoilers!!!] 3.5 ⭐️ / 5 ⭐️ [I liked it, but I wanted to love it so bad!!!] First of all, I thoroughly enjoyed books 1 & 2 and was pleasantly surprised by the mind-screw of it all. In addition, I cannot express how much I loved Willow and Gray as characters - so much growth and development individually and together. So, it is no wonder that I had high expectations for this third installment. That being said, I was not a big fan of Beelzebub in the beginning nor was I attached to Margot until her "secret" was revealed. However, I trusted the web of plots and scheming to carry their story forward, and, just maybe, I would learn to love them. *In Ray William Johnson's voice* Until!!! Although I did learn to love Beelzebub and Margot eventually, it is because of their strength of character and not necessarily because of them together, if that make sense. Margot, bless her, went through her personal Hell at a young age and surviving her toxic family. I commend and respect her for that. However, seeing her getting molly-coddled the whole way while being a bit ungrateful and resentful... Let's just say that I had to put the book down several times. 😅 And Beelzebub? My viewpoint of him completely turned 180º since I first encountered him in the first book. I didn't know he would turn into such a big softie?! Anyways, I do wish he would've explained his plans to Margot and avoided all the misunderstanding. (Yes, I know. That completely defeats the tension build-up. But I digress...) Secondly, the rewind in the beginning took too long while the whole journey through the Circles of Hell felt rushed. We were told of things, rather than have them experienced. I know the main point is Beelzebub and Margot juggling their feelings for each other while Margot finally deals and comes to terms with her trauma at a head. However, their journey eventually feels inconsequential, because of how quickly and sparingly it went. So, when it ended, especially on that terrible cliff-hanger, I was left wanting more! 🥲 Anyways, I can't wait to read what happens next to Margot and Beelzebub's story. 😊💖