As a Charmed, Bria can find buried treasure and survive storms without much effort. Her luck spreads to those around her so when proposals are opened up for her hand, it's no surprise when she gets 100 offers. But she's only hoping for one. THE one. Bria has loved Westen, her brother's best friend at a distance for years because he's a Null, the worst luck imaginable. If they were to touch, Bria would lose her good luck and in turn, Westen would lose his bad luck. On her way to a forced wedding to a duke who wants to use her for her luck, Bria is kidnapped by a highwayman. Bria sees her luck changing when she finds that he's a Null. If she can convince the Null to release her from her so called luck, she can finally be with Westen.

This definitely has Princess Bride vibes and I'm so her for it! Princess Bride has been a comfort movie of mine for the longest times and I loved all the similarities in here plus the added bits of fantasy with the Charmed and Null's. This would be a good pallet cleanser for high fantasy readers or a start into fantasy for romance readers.

I would have liked more chemistry between Bria and Westen. To me it felt more like a childhood crush, but I did enjoy how the grew together at the end. Quick and enjoyable read!

It is a very cute little book about the MC having a mark that grant her luck and the people around her and the main guy has a mark that gives him bad luck and the people around him it is such a cute story of enemies to lovers and forbidden love I would highly recommend!

3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 for the narrator. 2 Spicy

The narrator for this audiobook was great. She had unique, distinctive, and personality-fitting voices for each character. It was really easy to follow who was talking. I found her voice enjoyable to listen to and it kept me interested in the story. I think the book is probably better as an audiobook than a read book, so if you have a choice absolutely listen to this as an audiobook.

As far as the story goes, it was a cute brother's best friend, forbidden romance, and arguably fated relationship type of story. The plot was fairly predictable, and the story was good but not spectacular. That slow burn took a while. The magic/goddess mark system was fairly superficial. But it was realistic that people would try and exploit Bria for being marked as a charm. Bria's character did evolve somewhat over the course of the book, but I found Weston's character was more set and didn't undergo much for character development aside from finally giving in to his feelings. I did like the chemistry between the two characters. I did like his aunt a lot, she played that "wise fairy godmother" type roll well, and she was one of my favourite characters in the book despite not getting a whole lot of page time. Excellent job on the one creepy bad guy! He was weird and unsettling, great villain.

I have read one other book by this author and very much enjoyed it. I was excited to dive into this romantic fantasy. It definitely did NOT disappoint. The writing was top notch. At the beginning, I wasn’t sure the author could carry the conflict throughout the story, but she definitely succeeded. This is definitely a forbid romance with lots of great character growth! It tugged at all of my emotions. I was rooting for Bria and her MMC from beginning to end. I thought the world building was great. It was nice to have a stand alone romantic fantasy as most are part of a series. This is definitely a slow burn, but it’s worth it. I thought the narrator did a great job voicing Bria’s character. It maybe would have been nice to have the MMC’s POV, but it worked with just Bria’s POV. Huge thanks to Tantor audio and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Once charmed, twice cursed was my first book from Shailyn. I would like to thank her and her team for the wonderful opportunity of this ALC!
This book is a brother best friend fantasy/ paranormal romance. I would recommend it to anyone who will like to get into fantasy and be eased into it. The FMC and the MMC are friends, we have chances(blessing) and curses that play the biggest role into the magic system of this book.
Bria, the FMC is blessed and a lucky charm and almost all her wishes come true. Weston is the MMC and is her opposite. The yearning in this book is real! As two people that can’t touch each other is a very interesting story!
The audiobook is narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell who do an absolutely amazing job bring and evening this story with her performance!!
This standalone is a very easy read that offers a sweet, fun and breezy romance.

Favorite quotes:

“Together but apart”

“Golden flower for my golden boy”

“I love you. In the permanent, branded-on-my-soul kind of way. I love you so much that I'd gladly take just half of you over the entirety of any other man. "

There was a lot of promise with the fantasy Princess Bride theme going. However, it all fell short. The romance, the fantasy, and the disappointing amount of spice. The female main character just came off whiny and complacent and the male lead was just flat and uninspiring. I did like the promise of the world-building and the fortune-based fantasy but that isn't enough to salvage this. I finished it, so it gets two stars.

Thank you for the audiobook!

This book had been on my TBR.
I’m a sucker for princess bride vibes.

The magic system is interesting with the Charm/Null.

It was a quick fast read/listen.

I enjoyed the narration.

I went into Once Charmed, Twice Cursed with a lot of excitement, especially knowing it was marketed as a Princess Bride retelling. Unfortunately, this one really fell flat for me.

Rather than offering a fresh take, it felt more like a carbon copy of the original story, just sprinkled with some magical elements. The plot lacked the spark and originality I was hoping for, and the world-building and character development didn't do much to help. I found myself finishing the book with more questions than answers — not in a good "I need a sequel!" kind of way, but more in a "this needed more depth" way.

I listened to the audiobook version, and while the narrator was okay, the performance didn't add enough energy or emotion to make up for the weaknesses in the story itself.

Overall, Once Charmed, Twice Cursed had a lot of potential, but it just didn’t deliver for me.

The premise was interesting- I just wish it was done a bit differently, the MMC got on my nervessss. Bria deserves a man who’s gonna STAND ON BUSINESS. Weston needs to stop being so woe is me, like pls. Like you fr kidnapped her, confessed to her, which ended up being MUTUAL & yet *pulls my hair out screaming* I don’t know, he just wasn’t for me at all. Bria should’ve just kept her charm & ruled the world, I hate when they make the FMC settle 👹
Overall, the premise was unique, but the MMC just wanted me to DNF this real bad lmfao. I’m glad she got the ending she wanted though, love that for her.
Kimberly M. Wetherell did well narrating this!!

✅ Bria Radcliffe, goddess marked and blessed with good luck & Weston Wildes, also goddess marked but for bad luck. If Bria and Weston touch, both their luck will be lost forever
✅ brother’s best friend
✅ arranged marriage
✅ yes

Cute, low key magical fantasy

I loved this one! I went in blind, and was pleasantly surprised with the Princess Bride vibes! Such a unique take, and a good fantasy read!

I would like to think NetGalley, the author, and Tantor audio for providing me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to preface this review with noting that I don’t feel like I was in the right headspace for this particular story at the time of my review. I am torn between giving this a full 4 stars and the rating that I’m providing which is 3.75.

The reason for the dip in my rating is primarily just due to the lack of variation by the narrator between masculine and feminine characters. To me, it really just came across as everybody sounded exactly the same. This aside the narrator did do a wonderful job at maintaining the spirit of the Princess Bride vibes throughout the storytelling as a whole.

As far as the story itself, I felt it was well in the tone of and keeping in spirit with this particular film. There was a plot hole for me in regards to the FMC not being able to touch a Null but touched a null in one particular scene and did not nullify her charm, but maybe I missed something?

These picadillo’s aside, I would still recommend this book for a quick feel good romance read/listen that has a humorous undertone and a happily ever after.

One so lucky, and one so cursed. What happens when these two come together? I got to listen to this as an audiobook, and it is a single narrator.
Falling for the man, you can’t have for many reasons, but one being that he’s your brother‘s best friend can be hard on a girl.
This story is a very intriguing greed I did not put it down once started. Although you did want to grab the characters heads and just smash them together and get it over with the struggles that they go through.

I really enjoyed the playing of this book. It was a wonderful standalone read with a clear plot and a few twists to keep me interested. I thought that the narrator made each of the characters’ voices and personalities distinct and easy to follow. She did really well adding personality and emotional connection to the main character, Bria. The story is told from her point of view, which I find works well for a quick read where a lot of stories have been moving to multiple points of view. It was an interesting take to make Weston’s portrayal a little more monotone. At first I was having a hard time connecting with him and seeing them together but as we got further in the book, I found that it worked to create some mystery with the story from Bria’s perspective trying to figure out what Weston is thinking and wondering if he will show up and if he feels the same way as she does.

This book is great for romance lovers that appreciate a bit of magic. It has a light fantasy world building where people can be cursed or charmed by Fortuna or luck at birth. I wish that this could be expanded as to explaining how people were chosen to be a charm or a null.

There are some typical tropes for romance lovers; forbidden romance, brother’s best friend, promised to another, kidnapped and locked up, and can’t touch. There is also a little bit of spice that connects with the characters’ curses and charms in the plot.

Once Charmed, Twice Cursed was just okay for me. The concept had potential, but overall the story felt a little weird and didn’t have much depth. I kept waiting for the characters or the plot to really grab me, but it never quite happened. It wasn’t a bad read, just not one that stuck with me once I finished.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209579460

I loved this! To me it gave off cozy spicy fantasy vibes with a low stakes story. Predictable but in a good way. The spice was delicious. I wish we got more about the charms but overall this was a a fun quick listen and I really enjoyed it.

This was a sweet, yet heartbreaking read!

Bria is ‘charmed’. And, just as you might guess, that means that she is just a bit luckier than others! Or maybe, a lot luckier…. But not so much in her mind.

As she is now ‘of that age’ she has many suitors clamoring for her attention, as well as her good fortune.

I’m only giving an outline here, but if you don’t want to know any more info about the book, you might want to 🛑🛑 STOP right here 🛑🛑… and come back after you read it…

Of the 100 bachelors in town, 99 have asked for her hand in marriage. But the only one she WANTS is her brother’s best friend, Weston… and he has not come forward. Most likely because he has the ‘null’ mark… the opposite of charmed. He has nothing but bad luck.

The problem you ask? Well, if the two of them get together, they void out each other’s marks…

Not so bad for Weston. Not so good for Bria. 🤨

And so, big brother decides to basically pimp her out…to the highest bidder. Wait! What??? 😮😮😮😮

And the whole story revolves around who is being CHOSEN for her to marry.
And does she have ANY say in the matter?
And then…. Can she get out of it?

Is there any chance for actual LOVE to come through for Bria? ….

This is the second I’ve read from this author, and they’re both solid stories! So I will be keeping my eyes open for more!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!


#OnceCharmedTwiceCursed by #ShaylinGandhi and narrated nicely by #KimberlyMWetherell.

*** RELEASE DATE IS COMING SOON, ON 4/29/25 !!! So, look 👀 for it then!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and & #TantorAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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The romantic pining in this killed me.

“ I fell in love with you in less time than it took you to blink “

The trope combination of ‘Forbidden Love’ and ‘Brother’s Best Friend’ worked perfectly, the extra jeopardy of disgracing the family alongside the power Bria and Weston’s curses have over them. Weston’s protective side was perfection, but Bria learning to stand up for herself on her own was such great character development.
The plot is more romance than fantasy based, basically the only fantasy elements are the luck tattoos . It had good pacing, was easy to read and I found the main characters likeable. A very cute, short read which is a great palette cleanser. Loved it!

3.5⭐️

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an audio book curtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell

The story is told from the perspective of Bria Radcliffe. She’s Charmed, blessed with the mark of Fortuna, meaning she is ‘lucky’ and that luck spreads to those who spend time with her.
She’s now come to an age where her family must find her a husband. Only, Bria is not interested in the 99 proposals - there is only one man for her. Weston Wiles. But there’s one small problem, Wes has also been marked by Fortuna, but where Bria’s being her luck, Wes’ does the opposite.
The rest of the story find us in

I really enjoyed the story of romance, passion, and adventure.

I did wish there was a bit more world building throughout the story, but overall it was a fun listen.

I rounded this up but it is probably more of a 3.5 star for me. It had a really interesting premise of the fmc being blessed by fortune at birth and always having good luck. There were also the complete opposite of her, who were called nulls, and attracted bad luck wherever they went. Our mmc was one of these nulls. I really wanted to live this but the overall story fell short. It was basically a friends to lovers and the world building was extremely limited. I enjoyed this for what it was, a cute and simple romance with a fantastical element thrown in. This would be a popcorn read for me. Fun in the moment but probably won’t remember too much of it. I listened to this on audiobook and I did enjoy the narrators voice very much. She did a wonderful job differentiating the characters and she helped keep the me involved in the story. Overall, if you are looking for an easy to read, fun romance as a pallet cleanser between longer more in depth books then this would be a good one for that.