REVIEW: Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

In Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan, After years of carrying on the family tradition of curse breaking as her side hustle, Riley Rhodes is on a case that could help her make her mark. She knows Scotland’s Arden Castle and its over three-hundred-year-old curse will probably give her a run for her money. But Riley is always up for a challenge. And after her first night in Torridon consisted of a lovely meal at the local pub along with an even lovelier kiss with a handsome Londoner, things seem to be going her way. Sadly, though, the rest of Riley’s trip is a chaotic mess. Beginning with Clark Edgeware, the man she met at the pub, actually being the archaeologist on site gunning for her to be fired. It turns out the Brit doesn’t believe in curses–or in Riley’s ability to break them. All she can say is Clark had better look out because she’s just going to *have* to prove him wrong.

“My grandmother taught herself to track curses by their scent signature–it’s sort of like a magical fingerprint–and then, when I was old enough, she taught me.”
“To be clear, you’re saying you’re some kind of…supernatural bloodhound?”
“Did you just call me a dog?”

Clark agreed to the job at Arden Castle to prove he has overcome the scandal that smeared his name and that he is as trustworthy and skilled as ever. What he doesn’t need is a distraction in the form of a gorgeous, supposed curse breaking American. Riley is Clark’s polar opposite. Their work methods do not mesh well nor do their beliefs on the supernatural. When it comes to their attraction, though? They burn intensely and unwillingly. Because Clark knows he isn’t the right guy for Riley as he’s on his own journey to get back in the good graces of the archaeological circles he’s part of. And being associated with a curse breaker isn’t going to help. But as they try to solve the mystery of the castle, Clark can’t stop wondering if Riley wasn’t brought into his life for a reason. And what he’s willing to do to keep her in it.

“Curse breaking isn’t about control.”
“What’s it about then?”
The lingering happiness around her mouth turned gentle, secret. “Hope.”

Rosie Danan charmed me through and through with DO YOUR WORST, a spicy, modern romp in the Scottish Highlands. With its magical realism, opposites attract, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity, there were oh so many decadent layers to the story–and to the characters.

“It doesn’t have to be a battle between us.”
“I promise you,” she said, “it does.”
“Very well then… Enemies it is,” Clark said, all crisp consonants and barely leashed scorn. “Do your worst.”

DO YOUR WORST is my introduction to Rosie Danan’s work and let me say that I had so much fun reading Riley and Clark’s romance. It took me a couple of chapters to get my head around what a curse breaker does, but once I did, it was honestly a pretty fascinating job and set of skills Riley had. I loved that it had been passed down to the women in her family. And I was interested in the history behind it all; how the resilient Rhodes women felt called to help people find an end to something that affected their lives so deeply. As with Riley trying to break a centuries old curse on Arden Castle that plagued anyone who spent time there.

Curse aside, Clark and Riley’s relationship was one wild adventure of its own. It was up and down. Filled with attraction, lust, antagonism, yearning, and ultimately respect. But through it all, even when they were at odds, it was easy to see that Riley and Clark fit together perfectly. Not that either wanted to admit their growing ardor for the other. Nope. They fought it until the very end. So, while they were attempting to ignore their personal connection, it was great watching Clark and Riley truly become a team regarding the Arden Castle curse. Their own personal histories got pulled into the mix, making it an even tougher job breaking this particular curse. But thankfully Riley and Clark were able to support each other and finally admit their love–in their own quirky, sweet way.

QOTD: Do you believe curses can be real?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: November 14th, 2023 | by Berkley |

Riley Rhodes finally has the chance to turn her family’s knack for the supernatural into a legitimate business when she’s hired to break the curse on an infamous Scottish castle. Used to working alone in her alienating occupation, she’s pleasantly surprised to meet a handsome stranger upon arrival—until he tries to get her fired.

Fresh off a professional scandal, Clark Edgeware can’t allow a self-proclaimed “curse breaker” to threaten his last chance for redemption. After he fails to get Riley kicked off his survey site, he vows to avoid her. Unfortunately for him, she vows to get even.

Riley expects the curse to do her dirty work by driving Clark away, but instead, they keep finding themselves in close proximity. Too close. Turns out, the only thing they do better than fight is fool around. If they’re not careful, by the end of all this, more than the castle will end up in ruins.