I’ve officially entered my Halloween reads era, so after finishing the first book in the Maple Hallow series, I grabbed Curses and Cold Brews by Ali K Mulford and K Elle Morrison next. I couldn’t wait to find out more about the tension between Iris and Ramona, and the pay off was worth it.
Introduction
Curses and Cold Brews by Ali K Mulford and K Elle Morrison is the second book in the Maple Hollow series. It is a paranormal rom com that was published September 2nd, 2025 and is 284 pages long. It is a slow burn with a first person dual POV. You can find the book on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and Ali K Mulford’s website as well as K Elle Morison’s website.
Premise
Iris has been bored out of her mind lately, and perhaps a bit lonely now that her bff, Jordyn, is in a happy relationship. Unfortunately, living in a small town, no matter how paranormal it is, doesn’t exactly open the playing field for romantic relationships or adventures to keep her occupied. Not to mention that she’s currently waiting on a certain demon to call in their deal from last year.
Ramona is happy with her life in Maple Hollow, she’s making deals for souls, has her hobbies, and is enjoying it all. Though her eyes are constantly roaming toward Iris, the little witch she made a deal with. A demon and a witch is a match made in… well, hell. It shouldn’t work between them, but Ramona can’t help but keep putting herself in the witch’s path. So when someone starts stealing her souls, it’s the witch she goes to for help in finding out who.
Triggers
List the Triggers found Curses and Cold Brews by Ali K Mulford and K Elle Morrison include:
- Sexually explicit scenes
- Temporary magical brands
My Thoughts
Demons and witches aren’t meant to be together, in fact the coven could have an extreme problem with it. However, for Iris and Ramona they’d been playing around each other for a long time now.
It all started a year ago when Jordyn, Harlow, and Iris showed up at Ramona’s house looking for information on the vampires in the town. Ramona, ever the demon, wasn’t going to give that information away for free, so she made a deal with Iris, one date within the year of their deal.
“Moon Goddess, send me a hot lesbian—” And right at that inopportune moment, Ramona Henry walked through the door. “Not that hot lesbian,” I grumbled to myself. – Curses and Cold Brews by Ali K Mulford and K Elle Morrison
In the meantime someone is stealing the souls that Ramona made deals for, and Iris feeling the investigation bug since the town’s last mystery, decides she’ll help Ramona find out who it is.
Ramona struggles with Iris helping, knowing this particular mission could be incredibly dangerous for the witch to be involved in. But she also wants Iris at her side at all times, not just because she wants to protect her.
The banter between these two had me laughing, giggling, and even getting a kick of my feet. Ramona is the protective main character, but Iris can handle her own too. I especially love the way Iris refuses to be underestimated.
“Malice looks good on you, little witchling. Jealousy’s the color of your eyes.” – Curses and Cold Brews by Ali K Mulford and K Elle Morrison
The spice doesn’t come until a bit later in the book, but the build up is so worth it. A bit of danger, a little necessary proximity, and a whole lot of feelings simmering at the surface.
As with most romances, we get the whole “we shouldn’t, but we can’t stay away” trope. I love the way both Iris and Ramona finally get out of their own ways, but become fiercely protective over each other.
“Why do you care if they know it was me?” I balked. “Who cares if it puts me in danger?” “I care!” she shouted, and I froze at the force of her words. “I care, dammit. Iris, please just leave this alone.” – Curses and Cold Brews by Ali K Mulford and K Elle Morrison
As with the first book, I absolutely loved all the side characters in the town. We saw a bit of Harlow and Jordyn, which I loved, but also got more insight into the Vampires and demons that lived in the town too. There were also a few new characters who I can’t wait and hope to see more of.
If you are looking for a Halloween themed paranormal small town romance with a splash of suspense, this is exactly the book and series you should pick up.
Who Would Like This Book?
Tropes in Curses and Cold Brews by Ali K Mulford and K Elle Morrison include:
- Found Family
- Sapphic
- Rivals to Lovers
- Small Town
Make sure you check out my recommendations for the other books in the Maple Hollow series:
If you liked Bowling with Bigfoot by Eden Crowe, Resting Witch Face by Juliette Cross, or Charming the Devil by Sarah Blue, you will likely love this book.