A Curse so Dark and Lonely

By Brigid Kemmerer

From Goodreads

Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

My Review

This book has been on my radar for a long time. Ever since I read about the author in an interview at the back of one of SJM’s ACOTAR’s novels. I've been a little hesitant to read it because it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I was afraid it was be cheesy. But I ended up picking it up and gave it a go. And I’m really glad I did!

Harper is such a great heroine. She is compassionate and ballsy. She works to better herself and to see the good in people that don’t deserve her kindness. She has Cerebral Palsy and I LOVE that she does not let that define her. I also really liked Rhen and Grey. Rhen is much more than meets the eyes and I love how he views Harper and her strength. Grey is one of the most loyal characters I’ve ever read. The three of them together make a formidable team.

I was delighted that even though this book is a retelling, it totally holds it's own story leads the reader down a very interesting path. This is the first book in the Cursebreakers series and I am very much looking forward to reading book 2!