Of Curses and Beauty

by Elle Backenstoe

One curse to bring them together.

One kiss to tear them apart.

All her life, Alaine has suffered the weight of her beauty and she is tired of it. When an unexpected debt threatens her family, Alaine is urged to accept a lucrative marriage to her worst nightmare. She flees to the nearby forest and encounters a witch that offers to help her. The last thing Alaine expects is to be taken away, stripped of her beauty, and abandoned at a curious cottage with no way out.

Daric has been cursed for centuries when a strange young woman wanders into his secluded corner of the woods, claiming to be a lost beauty. For years, his only goal had been to escape the enchanted cottage and exact revenge against the witch that ensnared him. But sharing his curse with Alaine might not be so bad, especially if she’s the one that can break it.

Daric yearns to see them both free. Alaine knows her family is counting on her, but as her reluctant friendship with Daric blossoms into something more, she must decide if saving her parents is worth losing him and returning to the marriage she escaped.

Let this sweet fairy tale romance with forced proximity and unexpected friendship sweep you off your feet. In this romantic Beauty and the Beast retelling, the villain isn’t always who they seem to be, and curses are sometimes blessings in disguise.

• ASIN: B0BRCLWQ3J
• Publish Date: 23 March 2023 (first published 17 March 2023)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Elle Backenstoe
• Format: eBook (US Trade)
• Pages: 245
• Language: English

Reviews

[ladygrey]

This starts out as a lovely little Beaty and the Beast retelling. It's a unique take on the story with well developed characters. I also enjoyed that the story turns and changes unexpectedly.

Until the story turned and lost its magic. The second half wraps the story up as expected. But there's no wonder in it. No excitement or fun in the happy ending. The climax is…practical. Which was disappointing because the first half is fun and magical. I wish that had continued through to the end.