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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Quick read, magic system doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I kept reading to the end. Lots of hand-wavey computer coding going on but that’s okay for a fantasy smut book to not go into much of the detail or logistics. Story and world didn’t snag me enough to pick up book 2.
This was decribed as a dark beauty and the beast inspired retelling. It's set in a modern day world but one where four families reign supreme. Alana is a Beaumont and Thorn is the head of Malice Media. He's also a little obsessed and has been staking her from afar. When Thorn intervenes to save Alana there worlds collide and he's determined to claim her for his own.
I really liked the sound of this and I'm such a sucker for anything with a beauty and the beast label even loosely. Unfortunately I had some issues connecting with this though I did find it incredibly imaginative and it had such a unique set up with the social media and crystals angle. That was in part I think some of my issue though as it was hard to get my head around how this all worked. For me there were just to many story threads going on and it buried what could have been such a clever concept by making it overly complicated.
FYI, I also didn't find this that dark, yes we definitely had some dark themes but the romance bar a little rough consensual play and control was pretty sweet. Thorn and Alana did have red hot chemistry but it was also very insta which isn't my favourite trope.
Overall I enjoyed this I just wasn't wowed it does have a sprinkling of everything. Murder stalking, kidnapping, suspense, romance and a big old curse that's effecting Thorn so it definitely wasn't dull there was just also something missing here for me as well. I'm not sure if I will continue this series. I believe they are going to be interconnected standalones loosely based on fairytales but it does deserve points for originality and the writing itself was easy to consume.
I really liked the sound of this and I'm such a sucker for anything with a beauty and the beast label even loosely. Unfortunately I had some issues connecting with this though I did find it incredibly imaginative and it had such a unique set up with the social media and crystals angle. That was in part I think some of my issue though as it was hard to get my head around how this all worked. For me there were just to many story threads going on and it buried what could have been such a clever concept by making it overly complicated.
FYI, I also didn't find this that dark, yes we definitely had some dark themes but the romance bar a little rough consensual play and control was pretty sweet. Thorn and Alana did have red hot chemistry but it was also very insta which isn't my favourite trope.
Overall I enjoyed this I just wasn't wowed it does have a sprinkling of everything. Murder stalking, kidnapping, suspense, romance and a big old curse that's effecting Thorn so it definitely wasn't dull there was just also something missing here for me as well. I'm not sure if I will continue this series. I believe they are going to be interconnected standalones loosely based on fairytales but it does deserve points for originality and the writing itself was easy to consume.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thorn stalked Alana, kidnapped her, and after two days together she has fallen in love with him. Meanwhile, he says he loves her for her but he wants to squelch her independence. I just couldn't get behind this story. And yes, I understand the fairytale aspect.
I found the pacing to be the main problem with this book, which directly contributes to the numerous plot holes in One Cursed Rose. Almost nothing in the story feels resolved, and as a reader, I found this disappointing coming from this author. While the retelling of Beauty and the Beast was well done, I couldn't fully enjoy it because so much was left unexplained.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this book and I'm uncertain if I will continue with the series. However, if you're a fan of fairy tale retellings with darker elements, it might be worth giving it a try.
*thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this book and I'm uncertain if I will continue with the series. However, if you're a fan of fairy tale retellings with darker elements, it might be worth giving it a try.
*thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really loved this book. It was fast paced and just dark enough. The world was unique and while I didn’t fully understand the magic of it, I was happy to just enjoy the ride. Thorn was quite the MMC. Probably very problematic but also- super protective and a great caretaker. I also didn’t see the ending coming the way that it did, which is impressive.
Stalker turned lover and very smutty.
I had a lot of problems with this book. It is a relatively easy read which is nice, but the whole time I wanted to scream at the main protagonist.
The protagonist is built up as a very sheltered (which character wise does explain a lot) person who reminisces over being upset with her father who murdered her past love interest (who was a pedophile). As an adult she protects abused women (which is not relevant to the plot but mentioned as a character trait).
Her love interest is the typical brooding, sexy, swoonable type who gets rid of anybody who stands in his way. He is toxically obsessive and is built as a "she changed him" character when everything is his character goes against it.
Writing and smut saves this enough to be a 3*. The beauty and the beast plot line it is supposed to have was unrecognisable.
This author has good potential but needs to focus on better character building and backgrounds.
I had a lot of problems with this book. It is a relatively easy read which is nice, but the whole time I wanted to scream at the main protagonist.
The protagonist is built up as a very sheltered (which character wise does explain a lot) person who reminisces over being upset with her father who murdered her past love interest (who was a pedophile). As an adult she protects abused women (which is not relevant to the plot but mentioned as a character trait).
Her love interest is the typical brooding, sexy, swoonable type who gets rid of anybody who stands in his way. He is toxically obsessive and is built as a "she changed him" character when everything is his character goes against it.
Writing and smut saves this enough to be a 3*. The beauty and the beast plot line it is supposed to have was unrecognisable.
This author has good potential but needs to focus on better character building and backgrounds.
One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti
Grimm Bargains #1
Fairy Tales were my thing as a child and one wedding gift from my parents was the complete set of Andrew Lang’s Fairy Tales in multiple volumes with each book a different color. Myths, legends, and fairy tales are still fun and dark ones like this appeal in more intriguing ways.
What I liked:
* Alana Beaumont: bright, beautiful, social media influencer for her family’s media business, can charge gems, good friend, learns a great deal about herself in this book as she falls for Thorn
* Thorn Beathach: dark, damaged, deadly, ruthless, protective, owns a media business, takes care of his own, suffering from an unknown virus, fell for Alana the first time he saw her
* The fairy tale link to Beauty and the Beast
* The way gems are used and how they are charged
* The serial killer subplot and who the killer ended up being
* The supporting characters that I hope will have books of their own: Quinlan, Scarlett, Ella, Rosalie, and Justice
* The way Thorn and Alana are drawn together and are good with and for one another and that they both righted wrongs and took on evil people in their own ways
* Wanting to read whatever book comes next
What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the evil people in the story and what they were willing to do
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Grimm Bargains #1
Fairy Tales were my thing as a child and one wedding gift from my parents was the complete set of Andrew Lang’s Fairy Tales in multiple volumes with each book a different color. Myths, legends, and fairy tales are still fun and dark ones like this appeal in more intriguing ways.
What I liked:
* Alana Beaumont: bright, beautiful, social media influencer for her family’s media business, can charge gems, good friend, learns a great deal about herself in this book as she falls for Thorn
* Thorn Beathach: dark, damaged, deadly, ruthless, protective, owns a media business, takes care of his own, suffering from an unknown virus, fell for Alana the first time he saw her
* The fairy tale link to Beauty and the Beast
* The way gems are used and how they are charged
* The serial killer subplot and who the killer ended up being
* The supporting characters that I hope will have books of their own: Quinlan, Scarlett, Ella, Rosalie, and Justice
* The way Thorn and Alana are drawn together and are good with and for one another and that they both righted wrongs and took on evil people in their own ways
* Wanting to read whatever book comes next
What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the evil people in the story and what they were willing to do
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
A beauty and the beast retelling with a sci-fi modern twist!
Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.
Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.
Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.
The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw
Merged review:
A beauty and the beast retelling with a sci-fi modern twist!
Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.
Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.
Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.
The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw
Merged review:
A beauty and the beast retelling with a sci-fi modern twist!
Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.
Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.
Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.
The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw
Merged review:
A beauty and the beast retelling with a sci-fi modern twist!
Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.
Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.
Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.
The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw
Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.
Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.
Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.
The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw
Merged review:
A beauty and the beast retelling with a sci-fi modern twist!
Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.
Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.
Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.
The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw
Merged review:
A beauty and the beast retelling with a sci-fi modern twist!
Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.
Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.
Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.
The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw
Merged review:
A beauty and the beast retelling with a sci-fi modern twist!
Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.
Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.
Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.
The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw