A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (The Cursebreaker, #1)

by Brigid Kemmerer

A New York Times bestseller!
"Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale." - Jodi Picoult

In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.

Fall in love, break the curse.


It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was 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 barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But 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.

Reviewed by reveriesociety_ on

3 of 5 stars

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Ok, I did enjoy this book so much. And if I'd loved it a bit more, it'd have been a 4 star rating (not quite 5 because it wasn't mind-blowing). The ending just fell a little flat for me. I'm aware that this has a sequel, but I also saw it could stand alone. With that in mind, the ending for the characters whose story should have wrapped-up nicely, just kind of didn't. I think expected more closure and explanation in that sense.

What did they learn? What did the accomplish beyond the obvious? I'm not sure and drives me nuts :(

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 28 April, 2019: Reviewed