Fabulous reads: Fantasy romance will leave you with all the feels

Our Cursed Love, Julie Abe, Pan Macmillan, ISBN: 9781035039975

Please note: This review may contain spoilers.

This enchanting book took me into Japanese culture interwoven with a fantasy world that was both light-hearted, delightful and high-stakes.

If you enjoy a sweet romance with a strong fantasy element and a magical world – similar to Harry Potter with academies and universities hidden away from the ‘muggle’ world but unique in its own way – then this book will tick all your boxes. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance, but Remy and Cam are in love from the beginning of the book. They just don’t know how to take it to the next stage because of their own fears and baggage. Their love is intense and all-encompassing with all the intoxicating thrill of young love but with the added ingredient of having been best friends throughout most of their childhoods. It’s intense. But not in a soppy or stupid way – nor do they focus just on the erotic/attraction side of things.

Problem is, according to Remy’s fortune, which was told to her by a renowned magical psychic, Remy does not have a soul mate. And if you don’t have a soul mate, you are doomed on the relationship side of things. Cam hasn’t reached the point where he even knows what he feels for Remy, so when he loses his memories of her and their years together as friends, their love/friendship is in peril – and even Cam’s future career. They have to find a way to save their friendship/love, if it’s meant to be saved.

I loved the fantasy side of this book. I enjoyed the delightful dive into the settings in Tokyo even though many of them were fantasy places – the book had that childlike-innocence vibe Anime shows have – enchanting and sweet. I enjoyed the depth of emotions and the progression of the romance. My only gripe is that it was a bit too idealistic or all-encompassing in that real-life love isn’t so perfect and saviour-like. But I get that young-love feeling where the other person is your all. It just concerns me that it’s a bit out of balance. Maybe it’s because I’ve read too many romances, but I wasn’t itching to get to the end as much as I would’ve expected. It wasn’t one of those I-can’t-stop-reading books. But it was a thoroughly enjoyable read to savour, setting by setting, moment by moment – Kathy Bosman 4/5 stars

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