This is my second book by Denise Grover Swank and I have to say, I am a big fan. Both books got very high ratings by me, and I was really impressed with each of them. Denise just has a way with words. The Curse Keepers was so well written and so well thought out that everything had a purpose in the story, everything was incorporated into the big picture at the end of the book. I love it when that happens. Plus the idea behind the book is just so cool. I have always been fascinated with the Lost Colony of Roanoke, and that is what The Curse Keepers centers around. A curse was placed on the colony all that time ago and it went wrong, sending all of the people and the colony to the spirit realm and since then, the ancestors of the two people that cast the curse are called the curse keepers. Their ability lays dormant in their family line until the two keepers meet and touch, then the legend says they have one week to "close the gate" or all hell breaks loose. Literally. Don't worry, I didn't spoil anything, you find out all of this in the first two chapters. The real story is what happens between Ellie and Collin on their quest to end the curse. 
 Ellie is skeptical of all this curse business, and frankly, I don't blame her. It is something that is kind of hard to believe. But Collin shows up and he eventually makes a believer out of her. But Ellie doesn't make it easy on Collin. She is kicking and screaming and being stubborn the whole way. I have to say, I loved that about her. Almost as much as I loved watching the progression between her and Collin. If you hate insta-love, this is the book for you. The romance is slow and develops so naturally. It was great to watch it unfold. And both Ellie and Collin were so hesitant even though you could see the chemistry between the two of them jumping off the page. And then Collin kept warning her away from him. But you could tell that they were both going to eventually give in, and I was cheering them on. Rooting for it to happen sooner. 
 I had inklings of what the ending might be, but I was still surprised when it finally happened. I didn't quite guess what it was going to be, but I was sad about it nonetheless. I am so happy that this is a series because while it wasn't necessarily a cliff-hanger ending, there is still so much that can happen. I loved that the story centers around the mystery of Roanoke. Denise Grover Swank just made my must read author list. The Curse Keepers is a great first book to what looks like is going to be an AWESOME series.